


Would you say he was lucky?

by EggFriedReus



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome Michelle Jones, BAMF Michelle Jones, Dead May Parker (Spider-Man), F/M, Good Peter, Hurt Peter Parker, Michelle Jones Is a Good Bro, Michelle Jones can sing, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker’s Parental Figure, Peter Parker Can Wield Mjolnir, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker can sing, Peter is a Little Shit, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Michelle Jones, Protective Pepper Potts, Sassy Peter, Singer Peter Parker, Songfic, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony bought the tower back
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-03-02 07:54:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18806929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EggFriedReus/pseuds/EggFriedReus
Summary: Peter Parker, 16, Superhero: New York’s Spider Man is now dealing with another year of school after The End Game..For Peter’s it was mostly mental, the PTSD as such, but others lost much more than you could imagine. He considered himself lucky.





	1. Songs

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t own anything, ‘Cept the plot. I don’t earn anything from this either.. :(
> 
> When I say endgame in the summary I mean the big battle, none of the other bits happened...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song list...

Boy In the Bubble - Alec Benjamin

Best Friend - The Guest And The Host

To My Father - Nicholas Tomillion

Runaway - Ed Sheeran


	2. Boy in his bubble

 

It had never been physical before; mental degrading sure, a lower image of himself was built within his head. The bullying followed a pattern: Peter was better, he got beat up - Flash tried to ‘fix’ him or whatever he meant..

Peter had seen it before; one of his favourite franchises, Harry Potter. Harry didn’t try in school because he believed the Dursley’s would still harm him if he did too well, Peter had the exact same situation - if he did better than Flash, he would get a verbal abuse barrier crash down on him. And getting better than Flash was easy when you were as naturally talented as Peter was. Not to mention the fact that he now lived with Tony Stark as his adopted child.

It was all official now - ‘course no one knew - but legally, Peter was in Tony’s care now. The pair planned it to stay that way until Tony died, eventually handing the company’s over to Peter to do whatever’s the fuck he wanted to do with it..

All of this was only the case because of May’s rapidly declining health, and then - untimely as it was, her death. Cancer. The world’s most efficient eradicator (apart from humans of course..) It had struck without warning: May didn’t even know, stage 3 it had been. Especially after the entire Spiderman fiasco, Aunt May and Peter’s had agreed not to have any more secrets. To have something this big, which was, arguably, larger and more important than Spiderman was - to have that hidden from him... Peter couldn’t believe it, he wouldn’t believe.. May wouldn’t of hidden it from him....

However, even about a month ago, Flash’s bullying had never been unmanageable- teachers usually reprimanded him from insulting Peter. ‘Thank God Mr Harrington is faculty team leader for AcDec..’ Peter would think on many occasion. Mr Harrington seems to be the only teacher in the school who likes him - probably because the others thought he was an attention seeking trouble doer, who loved his bad attendance record..

Something had changed, about three weeks ago, that had left Flash to become even more confident than he already was. ‘Maybe his Dad got a promotion?’ Peter would think, almost pray that that was the reason: but Peter wasn’t dumb, he knew the exact reason Flash was now so cocky and arrogant; Peter tried to ignore that reason.

May was dead, to be flat. That was the reason - Flash believed Peter to be an orphan in an orphanage. Tears would roll on the inside, tears of realisation that he would never feel May’s perfect hugs, or those comforting smiles.. Hell, even the trips to that Thai place where the waiter ‘larbed’ his Aunt. All of it was gone.. But deep down, and that is deep down, Peter would smile - and laugh - and full-out shout with joy because Flash knew nothing about Peter’s life. The tears with the laughter, the love with the hate, the family with the mourning.

Flash had a little picture, perhaps a model of what he believed Peter was: weak, orphaned, unloved. Peter had the canvas: and everlasting expanse of white that could be played, mixed, sculpted into whatever Peter wished. Sometimes, when Flash would get on a roll of insults, Peter would step a few paces back, and just view the canvas. Stretched, warped in places - a path already carved for him, college, school, Avenging. However in between lay large expanses of nothing - faces that looked strangely like Michelle, Ned, and a pretty blonde at a wedding, all with smile so of varying degree on their faces. They were all surrounding Peter.

Peter had watched this canvas before, he was watching it now, and he would watch it in the future - but the thing that irked him was that the mystery face next to Ned looked so similar, and yet so strange. Michelle and Ned looked different; Ned more so, his features more defined, bulk slipped off him as Peter’s watching continued. Michelle bulked up slightly, not with fat - but a muscular layer, before curves were added as her features grew cuter. Before Peter could try and straighten his head again, Michelle just looked down right beautiful like this, peaceful and a smiling and...

No! He would force himself out of his faze repeatedly, this time, in the process hitting his head against the wall behind his head - denting it. Birds were circling his head as he tried to collect his thoughts once more.

It was a Monday morning, 3:43 AM, Peter had school tommor—today even.. He just couldn’t sleep, no matter what he did. Atop the mattress his skin crawled, both sides of the pillow were hot, the duvet crinkled and crunched when he moved it. Even after May's death he would reach nothing, peaceful sleep. That was until June 17th rolled around, then past. Only that night, but it was enough - Peter had envisioned May dying: over and over - each way more gruesome than the last..

He was scared, scared of the dark in his room, scared of the emptiness his heart contained, he was frightened rigid of sleep. He feared that he would slip off into nothing like he had watched May do, 11:34PM. If Peter wasn’t asleep by then, then he wouldn’t. Ben had died about 20 minutes after that reportedly, Peter had never checked - he wasn’t too busy covering the gunshot wound to the side off hi—...

No he shouldn’t, Peter would remind himself. He had to move on, that was years ago.. And yet, he had also found - from what he could dig from SHIELD without being discovered was that his parents, Mary and Richard has been discovered at 11:14PM, 20 minutes before that time...

Peter’s mind was once again racing, but even with that - despite his fighting to stay awake and not let sleep -the darkness- consume him, he fell limp. The muscular 15 year old plopped down against the too-hot pillow, totally asleep.

 

* * *

* * *

 

”Wake up Peter, school calls..” Karen’s soothing voice spoke up too early in the morning for Peter’s distressed state - not to mention his abnormal hearing that felt like someone was talking directly into his ear. Peter grumbled first, annoyed with how his lucid dreaming had been broken up, he never got them - and yet when he finally had one, his  _totally_ realistic relationship with MJ (that had only just started the interesting bit,) was now shattered by reality and his lack of social communication skills. 

“Piss off Karen!” He called into the pillow, still too hot for his liking. In fact he had had enough of the bamboo fibre cloud his head rested on. In his anger he tossed it at the ceiling, but with it’s natural consistency it just kinda tapped lightly off the plaster. 

“No can do Peter, I’m everywhere in this room!” Karen circulated her voice around the corners of the room as she spoke that time, tripping Peter the fuck out - his auditory senses not working properly without some proper fuel in his stomach. 

_Tap Tap Tap_

Peter looked up toward the door handle as it turned slowly, “Squirt, I swear if you don’t get your ass in that kitchen in the next five, I’ll get that crazy girl you know to come down here and drag you out. You know she lives like 10 minutes away - and I bet she wouldn’t mind waltzing in to pull your: sorry, ripped, ass out of bed..”

Instantly went up the teen's hand from underneath the duvet/blanket combo - flipping off Clint casually. He regretted the action immediately when the cold air around his body crept along his haired arms, it felt like ice smashing into his arms.  _Too Cold..._ Lost in his thoughts, the Spider didn't realise Clint haul him out of bed and throw him out into the corridor with a heap of clothes to put on.. 

 

* * *

* * *

 

After the hell of waking up, Happy literally threw him into the car before he could stop him, rushing between traffic lanes and beeping unendingly loudly against Peter's sensitive eardrums. Ned was waiting for him when he pulled up, someone had obviously told him to join Peter when he got out the car.  _Something odd was going on.._ However as much as he would've liked to dwell on the Avengers monotonous planning, he had school to start. He hurried inside and escorted himself off to Chem forcefully. 'What's going on?' wondered Peter, casting questioning glances toward the people around him and the floor. Then it struck him..

 _No not the locker that secretly hid his old web fluid.. Although, technically it did. It had swung out after a particular forceful kick from a senior after they read their latest end-of-year test score._ What really hit him was the reason everyone was hurrying him around - Tony wouldn't be back for ages.. Peter always worried whenever his Dad wasn't at home. Call him protective... Everyone else must be trying to make him forget - well they had failed, might as well let them know.. 

 

_Junior_

_7:57_

_You guys can stop rushing me around now, I know why._

_Mama Spider_

_7:57_

_Shit, worth the try though.._

_Merida_

_7:57_

_New record though, only took him 52 minutes_

_Birdbrudda_

_7:58_

_Thats still 52 minutes, not quick enough.._

_Junior_

_7:58_

_Are you guys betting on this or something?_

_7:59_

_Anyway, Clint woke me up 39 mins early, so take that off the 52..._

* * *

* * *

 

‘Chemistry was fucking boring.’ Was Peter conclusion of first lesson. He could’ve done the entire lesson with a handicap believed Peter as he turned the corridor toward physics. 

Down beneath his stomach growled angrily as he stepped, he hadn’t eaten today - Clint forced him out of the house 39 minutes early! And he was livid because of it too, not a single thing to eat with a raging teenage metabolism, ‘T’was bullshit’ thought Peter as passed the Shakespeare quote board. For the first time in forever, neither Ned nor Michelle were in school today. Peter was worried. Not for them per say, but for himself - Flash was arrogant enough, when he realised no one was here to protect Peter, surely it would get worse.

 So Peter kept looking, round every corner he passed, every locker that opened - he expected Flash to jump round from behind it and smack the hell out of him. The constant checking continued all the way along to his physics classroom..

Squeaking came from the un-oiled hinges when Peter let himself fall against the door, leaning it open with his shoulder, it was unheard however as Peter’s stomach grumbled unholily once more. Daylight lacked in the class room, orange glows so uncommon to the rest of the school filled the dingy dungeon of a room. Said bad lighting sent Peter through a spiral - his senses burned up quickly, having to work even harder to keep himself focused at all.. But as his senses worked harder, his stomach grew somehow even emptier.

During the lesson he had been hit with paper balls, pens, pencils whatever you could find in a stationary set - all had hit Peter, his Spider Sense not detecting them until too late..

 

* * *

* * *

 

 Somehow Peter had got through physics, lunch, acdec, and most of maths before anything really happened. Acdec had been extra long today, the lack of two key members slowed down the process of setting everything and everyone up, and the fact they were effectively five people down with Abe, Michelle, Ned, Peter, and Cindy all not there (or in Peter’s case, affectively brain-dead.) The team had a threshold to keep to, discipline or whatever.. But today with the lack of the smartest kids in the group, the practise was mostly laid upon Flash and the others.

Never mind Acdec though, math had been with a sub teacher- one of those who had no idea what they had to do with a class to keep it controlled - so Peter carried the class despite his state, he had been forbidden to get lunch, he couldn’t leave school, and he was basically asleep on his feet!

Apparently carrying the class was too much for one ‘Flash Thompson’. He really tried to get the answers right, Flash, but he was always just wrong.. Peter got them right though - making Flash look bad, stupid, obsolete. At least, that what Peter thought he had done wrong, or right, depending on how you look at it - when Flash had cornered him in one of the schools side alleys after school.

“Penis! Think you’re so good ‘cuz you get a few questions right in math? News flash! You’re nothing, just a little, insignificant, unloved shit.. No one loves you Penis, you puny piece of dick cheese.” He was flat against the wall now, he wasn’t scared, but he had to look it.. Peter had faced down much worse, from much worse - but hey, it wouldn’t be High School without someone’s bullying you! 

**_Kick_ **

Peter fell to one knee clutching his rib, it didn’t hurt - nothing really hurt anymore, that physical torment, not since Him... As a matter of fact, Peter kind of enjoyed being hit, it showed he was still human: the blood that flowed.. His red liquid, his, something he knew he wouldn’t lose - like all the others he had loved before. This blood held them all together, so who was there to tell Peter he shouldn’t rejoice or be pleased when he saw the only ‘living’ bit of his parents, aunt or even uncle left..

_**Punch** _

Alright, that one may leave a mark, regarded Peter when he let his neck swing round to face Flash again - it spun back round to the right this time from the impact of another fist. If he **really**  wanted to get away, he knew he could.. But everything was so strange and extra at the moment; he just needed something to keep him tethered, to know he was normal sometimes.. 

Peter ‘struggled’ to his feet, holding his arms out loosely in front of him. “I can do this all day..” he tried to slur together, sounding just confident enough. Flash sent a fist right through the gap in his jelly posture - striking Peter right on his nose. The deft crack that he heard in vibration was obviously heard by Flash as well. Thompson nodded once in response and pushed Peter back against the wall. 

“There’s a bridge by 117th, I’ve heard it’s quite the place to jump from!” Called out Flash when he passed the shadow into the light. He turned right - and was gone.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

”Fuck..” Whispered Peter as he heaves open the Stark Tower door, eyes follow him all the way to security - “Obviously the bruises are larger than I thought” muttered Peter. Despite his thoughts the thing that magnetised the looks was the line of blood trailing down his white shirt, along his leg and onto the floor behind him - pools collected on uneven floor tiles.. “shit..” breathed Peter as he realised he couldn’t find his Tower pass.

”Karen, buzz me in..” he whispered to the sunglasses tucked round his shirt neck. The tiny green flash on the left side told him he was fine, and he walked through the security gate, not beeping although people could clearly see the metal he had on him - not to mention the blood. 

“Uh, sir, I think it’s best if you come this way..” Announced a security guard, watching the odd scene in front, ‘How did that kid, no older than 15, just waltz not only through the security gate, but with a blood pool trailing him and not care - or even seem to feel any pain despite the large gashes and bruises along his neck, body and face. 

“No can do, I gotta get to the medbay..” replied Peter, not looking to see who he was talking to - this time, he wasn’t _actually_ going to the medbay, but it was the only way he was getting through security unchecked. Even though he could just demand it as an Alpha card holder, he could go anywhere - and would go anywhere..

A similar guard began to stride over to control the situation but Peter ignored him and sped up slightly. Groggily from blood loss, he punched the elevator, leaving a dent in the wall at a considerable size.. Instantly the two panels slid open, revealing a horde of people inside. “Fuuuuck me..” drawled Peter, sliding into the elevator much to the surprise, unawareness and disgust of some. Who gets into an elevator that’s already crammed, covered in blood?

”Fri, you know where...” 

Soundlessly slid close the doors, leaving the lift in silence. Peter hated silence.. “Oh, come on.. Someone say something! There’s Avengers and super villains across this planet and all of you go speechless when some guy walks in with a bit of blood? Jesus...” 

 

* * *

* * *

 

At the same time Peter’s foot made contact with the glass layer, a song started playing across that entire floor. It being played led Peter to the conclusion that no one was home, Karen only played music when no one was there to catch him singing, even if he had been told he could sing like an angel by everyone who was gone...

Sixteen songs had come and past, but next was Peter’s, as of recent, favourite.. Little did he know that Pepper Potts had just walked onto the floor, as she’s had finished her day working in her own tower.. 

Peter still looked a mess, the bruising was blue and purple, the cuts were half scarred-half ripped.. The blood trail was still on the floor ever since he stepped out of the elevator.. In short, he was a wreck.

 **“It was 6:48, I was walking home..”** Peter started to sing, keeping up easily with the fast tune. After just the first lyric Peter began to realise the similarities between this song and his situation about an hour ago: It hadn’t been 6:48, it had been 4:12.. But that was besides the point.

 **“Stepped through the gate, and I'm all alone.”** Peter guessed that was true, when he had passed the school gate, Ned or Michelle were nowhere to be seen near him..

 **“I had chicken on the plate, but the food was cold,”** He hadn’t eaten all day, so he concluded this was a fair point to make, also there had been chicken at lunch according to whatever that kids name was...

**“Then I covered up my face so that no one knows.**

**I didn't want trouble, I'm the boy in the bubble..”** Music counted right? As he was walking Peter had put his headphones on before he turned down that shortcut, tuning out the world around him as if he was in a bubble..

 **“But then came trouble.”** Flash.. He was that trouble. Simple.. 

It didn’t look so simple for a Pepper Potts however, who had just walked into the room - to see Peter singing, with blood and bruises all over him: his usual extra, bubbly personality seemed shrivelled up inside..

**“When my mom walked into the living room,**

**She said, ‘Boy, you gotta tell me what they did to you’..”** Well, what could Peter say/think to explain this one... His mom had just walked into the living room, and she did literally just ask, ‘who did this Pete?’

 **“I said, ‘You don't wanna know the things I had to do’..”** And he didn’t want to explain it either; it was such a convoluted mess, the reason he took this all from Flash. From doing it to help others, to taking the abuse because it made him feel more human in the super world of his. 

  
**“She said, ‘Son, you gotta tell me why you're black and blue’.”** The beat and words were quick, too quick for Pepper’s kind of music but she understood the gist of it, someone had been beaten up in the song, Peter in her case.. And said kid’s mom helped him out right? So that’s what she would do.

”Pete-?” She was interrupted by him ignoring her, just continuing his song now closing his eyes..

 **“I said I didn't want trouble,** **I'm the boy in the bubble..**

 **But then came trouble..”** Peter began to even out his breathing when the song slowed slightly, but he didn’t have long as the gap between verses was barely a time to breathe. The beat changed slightly and it made it less difficult to sing.

**”And my heart was pumping, chest was screaming.**

**Mind was running, air was freezing”** Peter sung in a robotic-esque way, just like it was sung by the original. Genuine emotions rung true in those few words, Pepper could hear the sadness in his voice, could see the regret, and hatred in his hidden pupils - even behind those closed eyes. The teen poured his feelings into those lyrics as he recalled all the times he had been bullied by Flash..

It hurt, all those times, all those teases, all those ‘jokes between friends..’ Together they broke down barriers, mental ones - built over years, broken in weeks. And yet, after all that, Peter kind of enjoyed the physical side: it wouldn’t hurt him, and yet it was refreshing to know he was better than most, and a lot better than others.

**“Put my hands up, put my hands up...**

**I told this kid I'm ready for a fight!”** Truth be told, Peter kind of did this, he had put his hands up - Yes, to try and make it as if he was being beaten, and then he quoted his Captain, like an in depth war cry, that only the intellectual would understand.

Once more the song slowed, the beat feeling more jumpy and sporadic, yet more energetic. A pause of lyrics filled the air.

 **“Punch my face, do it 'cause I like the pain”** For Peter this was true, he had left his guard open for Flash to hit him, and the fact that he liked the pain was an understatement.. Every now and then, he needed the pain..

  
**“Every time you curse my name,**  
**I know you want the satisfaction, it's not gonna happen”** Flash, even just in their last meeting, down that alleyway, had insulted Peter as he was beating him up. He cursed his name, for what satisfaction? Flash was a bully. Flash was jealous.. So when he would face Peter down - Peter would stand strong, for the sake of the others around him.

  
**“Knock me out, kick me when I'm on the ground,**  
**It's only gonna let you down”** _‘Why does Flash still care?’_ He would think, Thompson would abuse him mentally and physically, but it never seemed to do anything for him. He was still empty - and needed something to fill that void.

  
**“Come the lightning and the thunder**  
**You're the one who'll suffer, suffer”** This line made Peter thing of his teammate Thor. Probably because he was the God of thunder who wielded lightning.. And he reckoned that if Thor could help Peter out with whatever, then he would, not stopping short to kill a mere measly midgardian. Then again, most of the Avengers would kill him as well if they knew how he bothered Peter.

**“Well I squared him up, left my chest exposed  
** **He threw a quick left hook and it broke my nose**  
 **I had thick red blood running down my clothes**  
 **And a sick, sick look 'cause I like it though”** Flowing between lyrics before he could string together another thought, Peter began to filter through the lyrics once more  - to see how many similarities there were.. Pepper was still there as well, she had just heard what Peter said, and what could she do? 

Her thin heels tapped lightly across the glass and concrete floor. She wrapped her arms as far as she could around her baby boy - enclosing him in an arm-based prison. Pepper tried to crush him with her mortal strength and motherly love which no man, woman, god or spacial being could escape. Apart from Peter... Underneath her arms he went, wiggling like fury between her grasp to continue singing.. He didn’t care that someone else was there now, no matter who it was.

**“I said I didn't want trouble, I'm the boy in the bubble  
But then came trouble” **He didn’t care about Flash, he was an irrelevant little twat who was jealous of Peter because he had lost everyone to gain a proper family. Sure, Flash could give him a reminder of those people - just letting him see the blood in his arms..

Peter knew it wasn’t normal.. To think like that, that everyone he had lost.. He saw them all in those few drops of blood.. He had been to Health class enough to know that his mental state wasn’t exactly stable when it came to his relatives, but having all these others around him - who he treated like the family he never had - helped a lot.. Peter wouldn’t self harm, he knew there was no meaning behind it.. He only let the blood flow from Flash because it dropped for a noble cause. To protect the others in his class, school, the entirety of New York he protected, they were all under his watch - and if something happened under his gaze, it felt wrong to not know why.. That noble cause from before was helping the others around him, he took the beating because the others couldn’t. His and Steve’s moral fibre had often been compared.. Something the Captain had done; something Peter had said: Steve had crashed that plane, trying to save everyone he knew, the woman he loved from death - and he though he was going with it..

Whereas Peter, poor Peter Parker.. The day that Tony Stark had ventured into his apartment that Thursday afternoon - His life had flipped.. But during their conversation, that however many year old Peter had planted a message in Tony’s brain: Peter would do what was right, no matter the cost.. “When you can do the things I can, and you don’t.. And then the bad things happen, they happen because of you..” Once again he sung the chorus as he thought. 

**“And my heart was pumping, chest was screaming  
** **Mind was running, nose was bleeding**  
 **Put my hands up, put my hands up**  
 **I told this kid I'm ready for a fight..”**

A short pause followed, before the next verse was repeated from before. 

**“Punch my face, do it 'cause I like the pain  
** **Every time you curse my name**  
 **I know you want the satisfaction, it's not gonna happen**  
 **Knock me out, kick me when I'm on the ground**  
 **It's only gonna let you down**  
 **Come the lightning and the thunder**  
 **You're the one who'll suffer.”**

Now the song switched, it switched a lot, tone, perspective, point.. New York’s favourite could only assume that this was meant to be the bullies view of what had just been sung about. So Flash’s opinion or view or whatever..

**“It was 6:48, he was walking home** **  
** **With the blood on his hand from my broken nose**  
 **But like every other day, he was scared to go**  
 **Back to his house 'cause his pops was home.”** Exactly what happened back in Flash’s home, Peter wasn't sure.. But he could be pretty damn sure it wasn’t that he was scared of his Dad. Flash’s father apparently was a multi millionaire after he inherited Oscorp Industries from Norman Osborn, (Harry’s dad) when Norman had died in a test run of a chemical weapon of some kind...  

Never mind all that though, Flash’s dad brought in boat loads of money that Flash bragged about, so it wasn’t like Flash hated his dad or something.. 

**  
“Drowning his troubles in whiskey bubbles  
Just looking for trouble” **This half of the song was a complete contrast to the other half, Peter’s half.. And he guessed that summaries him and Flash- complete opposites.. Next Peter thought about the first line. He knew that Flash’s dad wasn’t a drunkard. So what was the problem in Flash’s house? Could Peter help him somehow?

**  
** “ **Well, there's no excuse for the things he did  
** **But there's a lot at home that he's dealing with**  
 **Because his dad's been drunk since he was a kid**  
 **And I hope one day that he'll say to him**  
 **‘Put down those bubbles and that belt buckle**  
 **In this broken bubble’..”**

With those remaining lyrics, Peter though he could piece together what was wrong in Flash’s own world. In all the times recently he had listened to this song, and Peter only just thought about how he related to it and why he liked it so much.. He reckoned that despite all the money Flash’s dad bought home, Thompson just wanted to spend time with his Dad, to feel some love in return - little did he know that all his Dad did was come home from work, to be payed, so Flash could live how he wanted.. Lastly Peter just wondered, if all it would take would be for Flash to ask his dad for some time together as a pair.. Peter knew that feeling - he was on his third father figure, and only now did it feel like a proper Dad.. All Flash had to do would be to say: “Put down those papers, and those false statements, in this broken family..” For the last time till he fell asleep Peter was wrenched out of thought as the final chorus rung true once more. This time Peter sung it more emotionally and more meaningfully than the rest of the song..

**“Punch my face, do it 'cause I like the pain!  
** **Every time you curse my name!**  
 **I know you want the satisfaction, it's not gonna happen!**  
 **Knock me out, kick me when I'm on the ground!**  
 **It's only gonna let you down!**  
 **Come the lightning and the thunder!**  
 **You're the one who'll suffer, suffer!”**

After that, all Peter could do was fall into Pepper’s outstretched arms, blood still down his front, face, and on his hands.. But he felt whole for the first time in forever..

 


	3. Get yourself a Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is seriously confused about life - and it’s not even having to do with hiding the fact that he’s a worldwide known superhero from everyone in his existence.

Waking, not where you fell asleep was an incredibly disorientating experience. However Peter couldn’t exactly expect the CEO of the most successful company in history to comfort him through his much-needed sleep. So, because of that, the thing he was most surprised about was to see that exact situation happening as he woke. Well, if we’re being technical it wasn’t Pepper next to him as he woke up, but a plushie - it still carried the same effect emotionally though.

Slowly Peter got up, thinking the entire time. Patching together a large breakfast and throwing together some clothes from his room for after his shower. What he was thinking of currently, he wasn’t exactly sure but it went along the lines of this:

Ned was definitely his friend, of that he was certain. But Peter didn’t really know if he had any other friends - the Decathalon team weren’t exactly close to him in anything more than teammates, even if he had saved their arses in Washington DC... What constituted a friend Peter had no idea, he supposed you have to hang out with them regularly right? So would Peter say he had any other friends than Ned? No. No he wouldn’t.

Maybe Tony was Peter’s friend. Wait, no.. On second thoughts Tony wasn’t his friend: he was only looking after him as a burden, maybe he felt obliged to after May died. Part of him felt like he had failed - to have so few friends at such an important part of his life, then again Peter’s social skills weren’t exactly gunna be much help at parties... Somedays Peter wondered if he  _could_ make any other friends, no-one seemed to understand him for himself. Apart from Ned of course. It seemed on occasion that only Ned could understand why Peter loved to build Legos, why he enjoyed watching superheroes fight aliens instead of shrieking in fear.

Implications usually arose when Peter approached others with friendship and he didn’t understand why. A few years ago Peter had had 2 friends, Ned Leeds and Harry Osborn. As a trio they were inseparable- until Harry had up and left when his Dad had died in an experiment. According to the last time they spoke, Osborn now lives in San Francisco off of the multi-millions his father left him in his will. Ever since then Peter hadn’t tried really to make any new friends, and he didn’t understand why he didn’t: or rather, couldn’t.

Perhaps he was scared that they’d leave him after a while like Harry had, Yeah, that sounded like it.. Perhaps he would have to contact Harry again..

All of that had to wait however, basically his Dad had just text him:

 

 

_I Am Iron Man - 11:47am_

_Hey Underoos, you gunna get up? Since when do you lie in, that’s my thing not yours..._

_ Junior _

_Your thing has been not making it to bed if Pepper is to believed._ _She moans repeatedly about you not even getting into the room anymore.. Anyway, I’ll be down in 15, I’m already up. Keep up Mr. Stark_

 

 

Peter was actually downstairs in more like 10. For the first time in forever he didn’t have thoughts racing around his head whilst he tried to do something else - he was experiencing an inner peace which was indescribable in its calmness and absolute surreal factor in his crazy life. 

Back to the point of focus, Peter came bounding down the steps into the kitchen with a loose shirt halfway on and his wet hair from the shower flapped across half his face and in front of one eye. 

“I didn’t realise they let any old emo into Stark tower now, brother..” As the figure was speaking Peter had been tiredly rubbing his eyes. From the startle, he ended up poking his own eye with his knuckle. That hurt like a buttcheek on a stick.. Peter knew whoever spoke wasn’t a New Yorker though, that put him on an unusual edge.

At the entrance to the room, across the sofa, island, and downright clutter on the floor, stood T’Challa - who he’d met during the battle at the compound and Germany; with someone who Peter could only assume was his sister. The girl beside him was watching Peter with a tilted gaze, like the ones Michelle gave him, only easier to deal with mentally... Something told him this wasn’t going to be a good few hours. Nervously, Peter threw up a small wave to the King, crossing his arms in an ‘X’ over his chest. After which, he saluted politely and discreetly. T’Challa grinned at the welcome and mocked it back to him a bit more enthusiastically than Peter, this time Peter smiled. 

“Your highness...”

”I have said many times, to stop the formalities Peter... It is T’Challa...”

”Sorry, Your highn-T'Challa.. If you don't mind me asking, and I hope I don't sound rude, but why are you here?" The Black Panther smiled a small smile,

"I've come to talk to Tony, we had a meeting scheduled.. Do you know by chance where he is? 

"Ask Friday, I've been looking for him since I came down.." T'Challa nodded slightly, smiling again before walking off toward Tony's lab. His sister stayed behind.

"Hi." He tried to start conversation, however the girl didn't reply. "Alright then...Not the talkative type, I know that kinda girl.”

Downcast, Peter walked off holding his head high, it's just another possible friend down the chute then, nothing new for Pete. When he was walking, Peter took out his phone to see notifications covering his backdrop of him and Tony holding Peter's 'official' intern certificate. He clicked on the first one as he turned through the door toward the large bay window over Times Square. Through the view was the entire square illuminated with the midday sunlight. First was an Instagram notification for  _@Real_Spidey,_ Spiderman's Instagram account. 

124 million followers strong, he was fast catching  _@Captain_Rogers_  at 134 million. In front of them both however was Tony ( _@I_Am_Iron_Man_ ), 472 million and surprisingly Thor ( _@You're_Not_Worthy_ ), who had 179 million. Tony posted whatever and it got millions of likes no matter what, it reminded Peter of a certain family who had the same benefit. (*cough* Kardashians *cough*)

Whereas Thor, he knew an audience.. Probably from being king, but he new what the public wanted. Every time he trained he would post a shirtless photo of himself, and other times it was Stormbreaker placed in the wildest of places, a tree stump, a meat cutter. Thor had even used it to sharpen a pencil before. 

However Spiderman, by far had the best, most interesting account. (No bias!) Hundreds of photos of New York from his perspective littered his feed like trash litters the streets. Sometimes it was criminals webbed up, other occasions videos he had been sent of him fighting villains or even weird flips and tricks throughout New York all were in his recents.

When the app opened however, it was just Rhodey's latest post, a military installation in northeast Syria. He dropped a like before checking the rest of his phone..

 

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

 

Now that everything was opened, read, and replied to, Peter was just about to put down his phone when he received a friend request on his 'real' account. _@Peter_Parker._ It was from Michelle, "Since when did MJ use Insta?" wondered Peter out loud.. Quickly accepting, he went onto her account expecting to see nothing, a brand new account.. But there it was, thousand of followers. Peter didn't know yet, but going to a lot of protests did seem to up your Social rep. 

“@Michelle_Jones has used Instagram since 27th April 2016..” Friday answered his rhetorical question - startling Peter in the process. 

“God Fri, that was rhetorical..” Friday remained silent, evidently finding disrespect in Peter’s tone of voice. Now Peter gave up on finding Tony, without Friday to help he had no chance of tracking down the genius. Whilst wandering around to find Tony, Peter found a new section of the tower.

Well, technically, it wasn’t exactly new, but he’d never seen it - so Peter guessed it was either unused, or not discussed between the Avengers. Through the double glass doors was a large expanse of wooden floor, almost like the training levels, except this one had instruments of all kinds lining the walls, floor space, and packed inside open mini-rooms, no larger than a closet. Large steel drums, tiny violins, a giant oboe.. They were all here. But what caught Peter’s attention was a mint-condition guitar, strung up on the wall above the _fire place?_ Why would there be a fire place in this room? There wasn’t another in the entirety of the tower..

Disregarding it as bad planning, Peter went onward toward it. As he drew closer he drew in his breath.. Fine detailing looked bespoke amongst the finely carved and crafted wood - easily this guitar was worth a few million. Peter held his breath, scared the hot air from his lungs may disrupt the strings or something. Sure, he may have played the guitar whilst Ben was around: but since he hadn’t even tried to look at one after his death, dropping all music related subjects in the process at school as well. Shaky legs drew him even closer, the genius brain he had no longer in control of his limbs. They reached out tentatively but surely; clutched onto the million dollar machine and nestled it from its hold on the wall. It peeled off like a primed sticker. Peter knew what he was going to do, he was gunna play - for the first time since Ben.. Maybe he needed it to pass on from his death, perhaps this would help with May as well. Peter desperately racked his brain for something to play..

 

* * *

 

 

Much inward discussion followed, with Peter finally settling on singing ‘Best Friend’ for Ned: a gift for staying with him for so long, through all the shit. Wires covered most of the floor so Peter’s had to search around for something to connect his phone to, easier said than done.. He happened across the correct cable, and in turn prepped Spotify with his choice of song. Boxes were hurled around into a prime angle to record Peter play, so he could show Ned that he could still play. 

The very slow beat picked up, Peter strung together what he could with the guitar, improvising a lot of it - even if it was his first time trying in over a year and a half, he was doing extremely well. New thoughts drifted through his brain as he strummed the keys and started singing..

 

 **“You are my best friend.”** Peter cracked a smile, imagining Ned’s face as he realised the song was for him, mouth in an ‘0’ and eyes wide despite his Asian characteristics. 

 **“'Cause I know you'll be there tomorrow.”** True that, Ned had stuck through thick and thin with him, middle school, bullying, high school, Spiderman... The question arose in Peter’s head far quicker than he would’ve liked: ‘When would Ned have enough?’ What would be the point when he drew the line, and said ‘Too much for me now, peace, I’m out..’ He could say that at anytime - so Peter kinda owed him, for not outing him for personal glory or fame. For respecting Peter’s wishes to keep his identity secret.

_**“Even if the sun don't shine again.**_

**Your light is bright enough to follow.”** In reply, Peter guessed he would follow Ned into the darkness, the rain and the fog: if only he knew they’d get through together, stronger. Most days they did, the duo threw everything to the wind, hoping it wouldn’t be blown back into their faces.

 

_**“In the end..** _

_**I would love to be your long lost friend.** _

_**Went away and then you found again.** _

_**Then I'd never be alone again.”**_

_**...** _

**“You are my best friend.”** If Peter was given the opportunity to not see Ned for a year; for the promise that when they met next, it would be amazing, then he would - Peter wasn’t too sure about what his Guy In The Chair would say: probably agree with Peter, they usually did.

_**“Love turned into sorrow.** _

_**Even when we meet our end.** _

**You're still my friend tomorrow.”** And even now Peter hoped that in however many days, weeks, months that passed, him and Ned would stay strong - side by side as they stole the hearts of the universe. Time passed far too quickly between verses for Peter’s liking; he liked looking back on his and Ned’s friendship.

 

**“In the end..**

_**I would love to be your long lost friend.** _

_**Went away and then you found again.** _

_**Then I'd never be alone again.”** _

 

_**“And in the end,**_

_**I would love to be your long lost friend..** _

_**Went away and then you found again..** _

**Then I'd never be alone again....”** Wrapping up the song was easier than he thought, the final two verses being repeats of the one from a few verses before. However it still bared no less of an impact.. Small tears formed under his glazed eyes, it wasn’t long before gravity trickled them down his face. “Cheers Ned...” He choked our through to the camera - motioning to Karen to turn off the video as Friday was ignoring him now. 

Wordlessly, as if through a telepathic connection, Karen knew to send the video to Ned. Who received it gratefully, crying after the first verse. 

Peter put back the guitar, holding back the small tears - when he turned however he wasn’t expecting to see Natasha resting her head against the door frame, eyes closed - obviously relaxed. “That was truely beautiful Peter..” She stated, a different tone in her voice to the standard motherly strictness Nat always possessed during conversations between the two. “You've never told anyone that you could play! Or sing for that matter...” Natasha continued and he wished she didn’t: the tears started to sting his eyes now. Guilt sat in his stomach, why didn’t he tell anyone that he could sing?

”Stop feeling guilty, come on, get over here...” Aunt Nat swung open her arms as she finished the distance between the pair, enveloping Peter in a large hug. He mumbled into her neck.

”‘Mm’ so’wy Aun’ Na’...” Soft and fuzzy was the hug, needed yet strange. Somehow Peter managed to wrench his head up from its soft confines of Nat. “How did you know I felt guilty?” Only Nat could reply with a small smile, apart from MJ - Michelle did it better, but Peter wouldn’t say that to Nat now.. Said small smile was surprisingly followed up on:

“I can see it in your eyes, they always portray you’re true feelings. They betray lies..” With that, Nat uncoiled her self from around Peter in a comforting way, ruffling his hair as she did so. 

Next she walked away, Peter only a few steps behind..


	4. A message to her Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle’s side of this story is unraveling, find out how she copes with her bad parents and falling apart family.

* * *

 Apparently, according to her emotions, Michelle felt awful.. Ditching Peter and Ned at school because she had a few parental problems. Today had been the worst in a few months, her guardian (because it hurt to call him her father) tried to corner her about her mother once more that week - couldn’t he just lay off? So that her guardian couldn’t force her to spill answers she ran from the house toward her Aunt’s flat. Once there she refused to go to school with all her willpower, breaking her Aunt eventually into letting her stay at hers.

In the meantime she would protect Michelle from her dad, snuffing him off of the trail.

Using her time to the fullest, Michelle finished her homework, any projects, and started her first drawing before 11am. The doodling at first was a silvery blob; eventually morphing into a squiggly smudge, finally evolving into a tear drop sitting on her face whilst she cried in her room. It took a long time to do, 4 hours in fact.. But it was worth it she thought as she stuck it inside her booklet. Time crawled on slowly when she scrolled throughout Instagram.. Sending Peter a friend request, because she totally needed his help for that history project. 

Accidentally she clicked upon Cindy’s story, a short tune playing on loop in the background of the brief video. Michelle remembered the song, not just the name but the lyrics as well: because she so desperately wanted to sing it out to her father before he beat her to death one night..

Up came Spotify and down went the hours as Michelle continuously played the song back to back.. By the third repeat she was humming the tune, the seventeenth - mumbling the lyrics, the fifty-second she was repeating short phrases from it; and by the seventy-eighth time she was singing the song with pride out into the silence of her room, hell the flat since her aunt had left a few hours before.. 

**“I've always been a fighter,**

**I met you in the war.”** It was the war of parenting, not Vietnam, The Somme, Dunkirk.. However whilst it might not be in one of Michelle’s history classes, parenting is a mighty job for an ex-military officer, now police man and an overseas nurse. Whenever Michelle was at home she wondered how her parents marriage hadn’t broken and fallen through already. Her mother, her sweet, amazing mother was never at home - always working, whilst her dad, (God she hated calling him that..) more of a broken shell of a man now, threw his weight about with her just as much as he did with his army regiment, and now his criminals in their cells at his new work. 

  **“I thought you would care for me,**

 **'Cause that's what fathers are for..”** Phillip, her father cared about her, deep down though. And he never showed it; especially behind those layers of alcohol that fermented his bloodstream with an edgy realism. If he said something then, he meant it.. Michelle never saw that care though, even as Phillip’s daughter she now doubted it was there anymore: or maybe even there in the first place..

Even with her twisting of the arm phrases and looks, Michelle had never drawn the truth from her mother about what had happened those 16 years ago. What led to her, and her twin brother’s (Miles’s) creation. 

 **“I've never really felt safe here,”** Countless occurrences proved this, whether they be confrontations or abuse..

 **”In your eyes I'm always wrong.”** Also true. Michelle loved protesting, standing up for what was right if it was wrong, equality for all - rights all round. But her father detested protesting and even more so, protesters.. At first Michelle thought it was because - being a police officer, they were a pain to deal with, large crowds all having one goal.. But one particularly rough night, when her father had drunk himself to the ER, Michelle heard him shouting about the fact that freedom meant nothing to those who didn’t have it - and that if they didn’t have it now, why should they?

**”So for now I'll just hide away,**

**Every time that you come, home.”** Now Michelle would, whether in her room or not in the house at all.. She would avoid him at all costs. Whether he was drunk or 100% sober made no difference to her, particularly with what he would say to her.

**“You would rip off the sheets,**

**Right as you came in my room.”** Thinking about it at the moment made Michelle realise how often this actually happened, on usually rare occasions that Michelle avoided her father for the few hours she had to, he would burst into her room at whatever ungodly hour, he then up and proceed to do whatever abuse he wanted to her as a way of letting the alcohol out of his system to drink some more so he wouldn’t die. 

Every single time, Michelle would hope that he would forget about the punishment, and drown himself in the booze for an early grave..

**“Then you would throw me around -**

**Like I meant nothing to you**

**So I would wear long sleeves,**

**And I would cry in my sleep,**

**To cover the battles that come alive, in my, dreams..”** Never, for the last 2 years, since when it had become like this had Michelle worn short sleeves.. Also reflecting back for the first time in forever, Michelle would remember the pain-stuffed sobs into her pillow that shook the measly mattress and frame. Deep cuts and large bruises making her scream and writhe around in agony whilst she attempted a release.. Sleep helped so goddamn much.

A way out from the torment of life, dreams would sink into her brain; she wished they were reality.. Where her mother had never been landed that promotion from Dr. Helen Cho to work with her in South Korea. Where, in that alternate universe, her father helped her: life, homework, friends, love..

**“I've always wanted closure,**

**I wish that we could get along,**

**I thought that you'd let me be,**

**Be your only living, son..”** So perhaps she would nevertheless be his son, as she was female.. But even as that she doubted she would ever be a daughter to Phillip, she didn’t want to even know the man.. Could he be classed as a man? Some kin of the devil seems to fit more, a heartless wretch with claws of steel and a heart of stone..

Miles didn’t do any better with him than she did. Lucky him though, he spent all the time he lived away from the family at his private school.. ‘Bastard, perfect life, good for nothing... No! That was all wrong, Miles was amazing, her brother... Her perfect brother who always helped her through the rough patches..’ But now that he wasn’t here, who would help her along like a granny across the street.. Like Spiderman did, Who would be her superhero?

**”I know that you were taught better..**

**I hope you realise you are wrong..**

**The way that you treated me,**

**Is the reason for this, song!”** Is that the reason for the song she sang? Yes.. Maybe singing about it would bring it to the attention of higher beings, so that just by chance they could sort something out for her..

**“And now the sounds of your screams, still rattle in my brain.**

**You're like a medieval demon, rushing through my veins!**

**And got a moment to weep, cause you're the one to blame..**

**You make me feel insane!”** To this point Michelle and her voice had stayed strong, somehow through all the pain and suffering they stayed strong together.. Eventually though, one broke and then the other went with it.. Deep in her throat her voice box snapped, cracking her voice as she sang - tear jerking sounds emanating from her now. And with that came the beginning of tears. The wetness on her pupils, quickly becoming a blurry vision of the walls around her..

“ **You would rip off the sheets,**

**Right as you came in my room,**

**Then you would throw me around,**

**Like I meant nothing to you..**

**So I would were long sleeves,**

**And I would cry in my sleep,**

**To cover the battles that come alive, in my, dreams”** Once more the verse was repeated, Michelle barely sung it through the intakes of shallow breaths coupled with her violent shaking form from her developing bouts of tears and sobbing. As a whole words were mumbled and pushed out, sounding like a YouTube apology video instead of a song. 

“MJ?” She snapped up to attention at the words, however a kindness and caring in the male tone stopping her from freaking out. Her eyes peered up through tangled, wet locks - bonded through tears. A redness lit up her eyes with a kind of fire from the males point of view. 

“Peter?” She breathed out, hoping she was hallucinating: Peter had not just caught her bawling her eyes out about family issues. But he had.. 

“Michelle? Look at me..” He stepped down from where he was on the fire escape, sliding through her window with an unsuspected elegance and, as if practised. “Breathe, come on, breathe with me..” He signalled for her to breathe - motioning his hands up and down slowly and calmly.. Two things she couldn’t possibly consider right now. “Ah fuck..” he muttered, realising she wasn’t gunna breathe anytime soon. “Fuck, fuck fuck, fuck..” He repeated. 

Out of instinct he placed his hands on MJ’s back and rubbed circles, hoping to soothe her into breathing for him.. “Come on MJ.. You’re gonna breathe or I’m gunna have to pull something drastic..” Even now in her state, Michelle managed to pull off a ‘fuck off, you’re not serious’ look at him.

‘Shit, what do I do..’ More thoughts buzzed in his head, quickly he ran through possibilities.. “Fuck, I’ll kiss you Michelle..” Peter wanted to, and this totally wasn’t an excuse to do just that, but he backed out pretty quickly.. The look he was given could’ve killed him he thought, no he knew.. ‘Try me’ was written across her face, even if she still wasn’t breathing properly - still a hyperventilating mess.. “Obviously not on the lips, but more of a peck on the cheek you know, maybe that’ll startle you enough? Maybe a ‘donk’ in the head could have the same effect..” Once more he looked back toward Michelle, she still wasn't properly breathing. “Fuck this-“ Peter crushed his lips to Michelle’s and for a split second he couldn’t breathe either, surprised with his actions more than MJ was. 

Her eyes buzzed into focus and her breathing stopped, then began again.. “Ughhh! What the fuck Peter!” She wildly pushed him off and away.. “I’ve had the shittest day of my existence, then now you come waltzing into my Aunt’s apartment, basically proclaim ‘I love you!’ And then try and fuck up my life some more! My family’s a wreck, falling apart and now—...” She stopped, trying to catch herself from saying anything about her family: now she hadn’t fucked up.. 

Somehow Peter recovered from the action quickly, as if expecting that as they outcome.. “Look, Michelle, I’m just trying to help... What’s going on with your fami-?” 

“I don’t need your help, _Parker.._ And **don’t you dare** talk about family with me, what would _you_ know about it anyway!” 

“MJ-...”

”Only my friends call me MJ!” She shouted as an interception..

”Michelle, please.. Just tell me what’s wron-..” 

“Get out Parker!” Her voice rose even more from the shouting she already was, stopping just short of screaming. Her arms gestured toward the door wildly.. “Get out!” Then, fuck her, her voice broke as she spoke the next word.. “Please?” From that Peter was speechless, his mouth wasn’t even moving - although his eyes betrayed his emotionless look and silence. They screamed out hatred, betrayal, pain, but most of all - that feeling you have when you’ve just be turned away - told to fuck off out of someone’s existence..

Wordlessly he clambered back through her apartment window, tears in his eyes shining in the moonlight. Michelle’s could do nothing but watch her one true friend now disappear out of her life forever.. Once more she had fucked her life beyond repair. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so close to putting two songs in this chapter, but then I kinda wrote this ending and like it more, cliffhanger - you hate them..


	5. She’s a runaway girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once more we focus on Michelle, she must learn to deal with the repercussions of past actions - life’s just bad like that.

Ah fuck, she had done it again - drive the most important person out of her life with simple words.. Those books didn’t make her feel so smart now. “What have I done?” Michelle would continuously mutter as she lay in bed. 7 more hours had passed since she had lost it with Peter. During that time she had managed to creep back inside her guardians home. Just on the verge of slumber, MJ was wrenched up by her fathers strong, drunken grip. He grunted, throwing her against the wall next to her bed - soundlessly he conveyed his annoyance with her existence. ‘Oof’ went her bed under the extra strain of her father’s fat mass. He was just about to begin his markings along her, when glass shattering filled his and her ears..

”Put her down..” To MJ an oddly familiar voice rung out through her room. She didn’t hear anymore apart from ringing in her ears when she was thrown against the metal frame of the bed. Through her dusted eyelashes she managed to envision her guardian being held down by Spiderman in her bedroom. 

The fight lasted no longer than twenty seconds, Spiderman pinning him down with his massively supreme strength. “Stay down, final warning..” _Peter’s voice_ filled her head once more as she passed out in exhaustion.. 

 

* * *

 

When she woke again Spiderman was still in her bedroom, holding back her guardian from scratching at her. “I said, stay down!” Spiderman grunted out the last two words as he effortlessly broke her guardians leg. The screams muffled by the hand over his mouth. Michelle struggled to her feet, head pounding and eyes burning whilst her brain span.. 

Spiderman turned round and froze.. “Michelle?” He stuttered out.

”Yeah that’s me.. Wai-.. How do you know who I am?” Michelle eyed Spiderman suspiciously, he cowered in the exact same way Peter would.. God what she would do for Peter’s friendship again, he was so effortlessly sweet - it really helped her get along through her problems.

”We have a.. mutual friend..” Peter decided on saying, ' _was he lying? Nah, Ned counted.'_

 _“_ Peter, Yeah alright.. So I fucked up, really badly - and I’m too scared to talk to him now.. But- Wait, why am I rambling and talking to someone I don’t know? Anyway, just tell Peter I’m sorry..” Michelle paused again.. “He’ll understand..”

Spiderman nodded once, before speaking - though not to her.. “Karen, where am I?” Michelle couldn’t exactly here what the AI said, but it was most likely co-ordinates or something.. “Ned,” Michelle sprung up, recognising that name anywhere. “Ned, come in...... Alright Ned - send a new pane of glass to my location would you.. Fix up, Yeah.. Yes - you can tell Peter and Michelle.. She’s right here in fact..” Peter had to catch himself from saying ‘we’re right here in fact..’

Ned’s voice then rung through some speakers on the suit. “Hi Michelle, hope you’re alright: just thought it’d be pretty cool to tell you I’m on Guy-In-the-chair duty for tonight.. Peter was really upset about something, I found him crying himself out of energy in his room.. So he sat this one out.. Well yeah, that’s about it.. Bye!” Bubbly personality popped away from the speakers to be replaced by what Michelle realised was a hurt and sad voice..

“Well done, MJ-Michel-Citizen..” Spiderman proceeded to fade off out toward the night as he leapt through her window.. Just so it happens however, an item dropped from somewhere on him, a set of head phones playing one song on repeat: Ed Sheeran’s - Runaway..

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

 **(“Hmhmhmhm ah ah  
Hmhmhmhm ah ah  
Hmhmhmhm ah ah  
Hmhmhmhm ah ah”**) The tune began but Michelle didn’t pay much attention to it in the beginning - she had never listened to the song.. In the end, Michelle turned it off, it wasn’t going to help her sleep for the morning.

5am was when she broke, she played the song cursing herself, whilst flailing out of bed once more.. She wouldn’t be able to sleep with no window and with the memories of abuse now completely looming over her head when she was in that building. Cold air floated through drift ways and cracked bricks right onto her skin whilst she collected her items from within the depths of the house.. 

 **(“I've known it for a long time  
Daddy wakes up to a drink at night  
Disappearing all night  
I don’t wanna know where he's been lying  
I know what I wanna do  
I wanna runaway  
Runaway with you  
Gonna grab clothes, socks, in the morning, go”**)

Crumpled clothes, school work, broken dreams.. All of them she packed within the backpack she used for school. Meanwhile her father crawled after her, trying to stop her from leaving but realising it was pointless, her mind was made up. He tried to ask if she would come back, but the silence he received didn’t answer his question, although it actually did - she wasn’t coming back after she stepped out that door..  

**(“ ‘How long you leaving?’  
** ‘ **Well Dad just don’t expect me back this evening  
Oh it could take a bit of time to heal this’  
It’s been a long day  
Almost out of the wrong way but  
I love him from the skin to my bones, ah  
But I don’t wanna miss home, ah  
There’s nothing to save and he knows, ah  
I’ll just runaway in the overnight”)**

Her guardian then crumpled in on himself when Michelle hovered her hand over her mom’s bedroom door. He closed his eyes when she gripped it, trying to (unsuccessfully, I might add) stop the tears fall. Blurry blobs flooded his vision when the cool breeze from the door opening hit him from where he was crawling on the floor. “Love you Mom..” The door swung closed and Phillip fell into exhaustion.

**I’ve never seen my dad cry  
Cold as stone, and the kitchen lie  
I tell you it's about time  
But I was raised to keep quiet  
And this is what I’m gonna do  
Gonna runaway, gonna make that move  
Gonna grab clothes, and when it’s morning, go**

The song began to repeat like all of the others in existence, but Michelle now sung along as she left the house - a spring in her step now realising she didn’t ever have to go back there again! ‘ _What to do now? Where to go now... In this.. Vast, open.. scary, dangerous worl-_ Fuck, fuck, fuck!’ Mid-step she froze, realising the position she was in now, fuck.. She was fucked, utterly and completely: fucked.. Even more now that she had just pushed Peter out of her life.

**"How long you leaving?"  
** " **Well Dad just don’t expect me back this evening  
Oh it could take a bit of time to heal this"  
It’s been a long day  
Almost out of the wrong way but  
I love him from the skin to my bones, ah  
But I don’t wanna miss home, ah  
There’s nothing to save and he knows, ah  
I’ll just runaway in the overnight**

‘Maybe, just maybe I can crash at Ned’s until tomorrow, then stay in school for- like the rest of eternity...’

**Back pack, and a flat cap, turned to the back  
'Cause I packed my clothes  
My dad wasn’t in with that plan too bit tired and turns to show up  
I don’t wanna live this way  
Gonna take my things and go  
If things change in a matter of days  
Could be persuaded to hold up  
And mama was the same  
None of us the same  
To get the good nose up  
I don’t wanna runaway  
And one of these days I might just show that  
Put my home in a suitcase  
Tie both shoelaces, and hold that  
Things change, but for now I leave town with a backpack on my shoulder**

 Long strides covered quick distance.. New York City was all around her now, instead of a short drive like usual. Few cars patrolled now, even Police officers: a perfect opportunity for a mugger, speaking of which:

”What’s in the bag!”

**I love him from the skin to my bones, ah  
But I don’t wanna miss home, ah  
There’s nothing to save and he knows, ah  
I’ll just runaway in the overnight**

The final verse finished But it didn’t loop this time, the small device playing the songs had obviously died. “This?” Asked Michelle, pointing to the backpack on her shoulder.

”What’s in the fucking bag!”

”I don’t know, why don’t you check? Maybe a few broken dreams.. The abuse from my father, that definitely in there! Oh! And this!” Michelle whipped up her middle fingers and bounced on her knees as another thing whipped down the alley.. The mugger was already on the back foot as Michelle had stunned him with her reply, but his front foot was then taken from beneath him when the red and blue clad hero from earlier that night landed on it.. 

“I swear, What is with you tonight... Attacked in your home, attacked in the streets.. You should be thankful I exist!” Piped up Spiderman as he threw the mugger down the alley, making sure he was knocked out from the impact on the wall. “Do you think that was a bit hard? Should’ve cast him a bit slower.. Let the momentum take him- I’m rambling.. Sup Michelle, again.. You know, for what I’ve been told about you, you’d think you’d be a bit more careful - as you’re so... What’s the word, persuasive? No, definitely now.. Um, uh.. Intelligen-.. No.. Although you are! Don’t get me wrong! _From what I’ve heard.._ Uh, so uh yeah.. Um, **observational!** That’s the word! Uh, yeah..” Spiderman, Who Michelle was almost definitely had more of a relationship with Peter than - ‘yeah we met at the internship, Stark.. Yup..’ - leant back against the dumpster of the house behind him.

Michelle narrowed her eyes, a small crease forming in between her eyebrows that Peter loved. “Sure, Spiderdweeb..” A moment later and she would’ve turned and walked off, but the arachnid spoke again..

“Hey, that’s not how you talk to someone who saved your life twice in one night!” In response she rolled her eyes and spun on her heel, eventually though speaking just as she was about to turn the corner along the road. 

“Sure, sure.. Spider-what? Teenager? Spiderteen? I would've been fine anyway.. Nothing in my bag worth anything even if I did just runaway from home..” Oops! Well that was too much, she could tell by Spiderteen’s reaction.. “Not that I’m not okay or anything, just y’know?” She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than Spiderman. When she spoke she gestured expansively to the area around her.

“Whatever Michelle..” Called Spiderman as he began to crawl up the building. “See you at school!”

‘OH SHITHNVJSKWQNVSHHD’ Peter’s brain fumbled for a reason for him to say that, but couldn’t find one - so he fled as quick as possible..

Meanwhile Michelle stood rooted to the spot as she ran through her head what the Spider had just said.. 

 ‘He can’t be...’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit Peter’s fucked it! But can Michelle piece together the story whilst dealing with everything going on in her life?


	6. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Michelle have some lies to tell, or some truths to bend..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In advance, I HATE THIS CHAPTER! But I really don’t know how else I could write this because I need them together rather quickly for the story to progress, and I don’t want to start writing a book about their relationship building back up to friends..

Dreading it, Peter was dreading it. School once more at Midtown wasn’t usually bad - but when you’ve nearly revealed your secret identity to your joint best friend it’s a bit difficult. Granted, many people didn’t have this problem, but still.. Sure it wouldn’t be bad if he had nearly revealed it to Ned, but MJ? They Michelle Jones? The goddess of observation?

Wait, did he just call her a goddess? Not that he didn’t **not, not**  mean it of course.. 

Back to the cock-and-bull story he was going to have to pull out his arse if questioned about Spiderman, he was stumped.. He had one hour in which to think of a story, the time being 7am. 

 

* * *

 

 

Still he had nothing, 9am.. Luckily Michelle hadn’t spoken to him yet. Maybe because of the fact that he tried to help her a few hours ago and was told to leave her apartment, well more of kicked out - after he forced his way in mind you.. Pete thought it balanced out.. However Michelle still hadn’t spoken to him, and maybe she wouldn’t. Ned still wasn’t in - even if he had been well enough to record that message to play through his suit maybe as a way to talk to Michelle about her life, and if she’s needed help with anything. 

Straight from the doctors Ned had been told he had some kind of chest infection, heavy coughing and the such.. It also bred and spread like butter and Ned didn’t want to risk giving Peter anything.. Even if Peter hadn’t had a cold, or any minor/major illness, for at least 2 years. Some of that time was even before the bite. 

 

* * *

 

 

Lessons came and past, even now with 20 seconds till lunch Michelle still hadn’t even said ‘Hi’ to him. _Had he kicked up more than he originally thought? Did stopping Michelle’s Dad from getting to her affect her mentally or something?_

Shrilly went the bell in his ears causing Peter to jump, nervily and nervously packing away his things. He left the classroom in a hurry, hoping to catch Michelle outside. The only thing he did catch however was Flash’s outstretched foot on his way out the door. Even his Spider-sense hadn’t, well, sensed it, that told Peter that he was tired or hungry. ‘Or maybe both...’ Peter thought when he yawned and his stomach rumbled loudly. Somehow he had managed to stop himself from falling on the doorway, those reflexes still worked!

”What’s that Parker? Your stomach too empty from the lack of food? Is that because your an anorexic little twig, or the fact that you’re so poor you can’t afford the food?” Flash sneered across the hallway at him. Responding, Peter let out an amused ‘hffffff’ out his nose. ‘You wish..’ thought Peter, looking Flash dead in the eyes. 

“I thought you said you don’t speak to the lower class Flash?” Argued back Peter, stifling Flash with the fact that he even responded. Flash gave a short nod, spun on his heel and left: perhaps that could buy him a few hours of silen-..

”Parker, here..” This time Peter was the one to spin round, surprised was one word for it when he was facing Michelle and not Mrs. Warren.. “Come with me Parker..”

”Oh, um.. Hi MJ-Michelle..” After he coughed awkwardly, trying to defuse the tension, only increasing it.. 

“Parker..” She paused only for a moment to push him inside an unused classroom. “We need to talk..” That caused Peter to gulp extremely audibly. “What’s that for Parker?” Michelle raised her right eyebrow, crossing her arms intimidatingly.

”Nothing, M-Michelle..” She nodded her head once. “What’s this about, may I ask?” Deep breathing came from Michelle, she was clearly trying not to overreact here. 

“Well Parker, I have quite a few thing to ask you, 1: Why did you come into my apartment on Saturday?” If that was the first, with that being a difficult one to answer, what would the rest be like? She paused after the question, already expecting an answer.

’Shit. Think Peter think! Mr. Stark doesn’t call you a genius for nothing!’ - “I saw you enter your flat, and then when I heard the crying next door, I kinda pieced two and two together... Y’know, If you’re in there, and your crying - I thought I’d try and help..” He definitely noticed the stiffening of Michelle’s jaw, the fierce glares weren’t helping at all either. But he nodded along with his own half-truth, making it look _totally_ believable..

”First one down, and I will accept that answer.. Question 2:” Now, what Michelle really wanted to ask Peter now was: ‘how do you do this to me, make me feel so mushy?’ Or perhaps ‘Why have you gotta be so perfect?’ But what she asked was that, but harsher - a lot harsher.. “Why have you always gotta be... **_you_** all the time, all sappy and needy?” About a metre over the imaginary line reckoned Michelle as she judged Peter’s facial muscles change, almost as if guilty but still looking sad above anything else.

”I just wanted to help.. If I see you crying, I wanna help - it’s just who-..”

”Who you are, Yeah.. _Fucking hero complex.._ That leads me onto question three, did your ‘little partner’ Spiderman drop you off a message from me to you?” Staring down into those big, doe brown eyes did nothing to help Michelles interrogation, ‘he was so soft, and cuddly, and cute, and she just wanted to wrap him up like a burrito in blankets, and- NOPE! Too far...’

”Yeah. He did, I don’t get why though - if anything, I should’ve said that to you.. I was the one to barge in to your room and then try and comfort you, when I really should’ve just asked if you needed any help or anything..” His sweet ramblings continued, and Michelle didn’t want him to stop, but she was trying to ‘interrogate him’ remember? Said interrogation seems more like a QnA than an interrogation. 

“God Peter, you’re so senseless sometimes!” Nervousness set in and Peter scratched the back of his head anxiously. “Don’t say anything Parker, you’ll ruin the moment..” Peter sealed his lips, smirking slightly. 

“Michelle, I’m sorry, I really am.. I should’ve knocked or asked or anything really. I don’t know- How can I make it up to you?” The signature smirk was back on Michelle’s face.

“You’re playing a dangerous game Parker.. Answer this question, and we’ll be even, and I won’t go around to he school laughing about how you asked me out..”

Red flush covered his cheeks. “Wha-? What.. What do you mean a-a-ask you out? That wasn’t.. No! I know that if you shock someone enough then it can help with their breathing - I wasn’t- No, Michelle..” Devilish looks crossed across her face every moment for the next minute and a half. 

“What is your relation to Spiderman... Peter?” Said boy froze mid-protest, his cheeks went a pasty white and he fell forward feinting. “Fuck sake...” 

 

* * *

 

 

“Yup, you’re doing great. Just a bit more, open your eyes - the lights gunna hurt at first..” Those comforting words met Peter as he arose from his temporary slumber.  “I’ve been told you hit the ground pretty hard, perhaps you should sit back down and settle your eyes for a bit?” Because of Peter’s current metal state of half asleep, he muttered an agreement and settled his head back down on the pillow. Instantly he fell asleep. 

A harsh reawakening came to him only a few minute shots later. “Mr? Could you please wake up? You’ve got someone who is here to take you out..” The second time round his eyes hurt even more, his enhanced vision wild in the glaring white light. Around him were faint whisperings from other rooms along with a steady beeping from along the corridor. 

“Tony?” Murmered Peter, forgetting to call him ‘Mr. Stark.’ At the moment all Peter could see was a shadowy figure, slowly edging toward him.

”Not quite Queens..” A soft voice, like the memories of his Uncle’s when he would try to nurture Peter to sleep. However the soft voice did not match the large lump of muscle sitting in the spindly chair to his left. Peter turned his head to the right, his vision clear enough to see detail - eventually dissipating into his actual enhanced vision. 

“On your left..”

Back round went Peter’s head, neck clicking in odd places it didn’t any other time.. “Wha’ happ’e’?” Now clear as day, Steve Rogers sat by his bedside. Apparently the anaesthetic had leaked to his facial muscles slightly, otherwise why else wouldn’t he be able to move his face properly? 

“Some girl, Michelle? Took you through to the school med facility - then they shipped you off up here on Tony’s request.” Gesturing lightly went Steve, waving his hands around like feinting at school wouldn’t start a massive gossip train, he was already in enough with Michelle for her to now question him about Spiderman and his ‘relationship’ with him. It then dawned on him, Michelle had asked the question - he had feinted - she brought him to the front desk.

Peter owed Michelle; that was something he never wanted to do, ever! He thunked his head back against the head rest now positioned from the wall. The room was mostly white, with grey details spiking his colour wheels. “Bit bland isn’t it..” Remarked Peter, forgetting who he was in a room with for a moment. 

“Quite, not a good drawing..” Steve swivelled round a large sketchbook that hadn’t been positioned on his leg and knee a mere moment ago. The large canvas held a hand-sketched outline of the room, different angles and all coloured. They were really good, then again - he had had about 90 years experience. “What do you think?” Asked Steve, looking straight at Peter nervously. 

“They’re great!” Peter began, Steve’s nervous glance shifted instantly into a small smile. “No-,” Peter stopped mid sentence, a coughing fit beginning. Steve’s face dropped instantly after the word ‘no’ a little pout on his harsh features. “As I was saying, No- they’re brilliant in fact!” Steve sported a large grin whilst Peter looked closer at the line work. “Y’know, I have a friend at school who does art..” 

“I know..” Peter froze mid-smile that had been caused by Michelle in his thoughts. “Michelle right? She was drawing your face when you were put through the compound doors.. The pad was pretty thick, and to think she had filled it...” Steve dragged on: staring dreamily up at the intricately designed ceiling. Colours danced in his eyes and he spaced off for a few minutes, imagining a giant collage of completed artwork..

“Earth to Steve? It’s been another 70 years!” Called out Peter, Steve snapped up instantly - darting a look a two his surroundings. “Wow, you’ think doing it once was enough - don’t you Captain Rogers..” The super-soldiers eyes landed on Peter and his gaze turned to steel.

”That’s not funny Peter..” Replied Steve. Despite speaking he was nearly inaudible due to Peter’s mad giggles. 

“It was for me...”

”That’s beside some the point, Queens.. Let’s get you up, don’t want you wasting your golden years sitting down here now would we?” Steve offered out his hand which Peter took and he helped him up put of the medical cot he was lying in. Side by side they walked along the corridor, even if it was more of Peter shuffling along clutching his head, Steve holding him up with an arm round his shoulders. 

“Yeah, you would know all about wasting your golden years - what are you 120?” Remarked Peter cheekily whilst he smirked up at the super soldier. Peter was about to continue when a different voice spoke from behind the two. 

"Oooh, the kid's growing balls Captain.." Steve and Peter wheeled round to face Tony.

"Mr Stark!" Peter charged toward him and hugged him..

"Um, we're doing this now?" Tony motioned toward the hug, Steve was silently laughing and Peter just hummed a 'yes' into Tony's shoulder. An innocent camera click sounded and the pair instantly separated, looking round wildly. "Rogers!" Called out Tony agitated.

"Hey don't look at Uncle Steve, he cant even operate a phone - his arthritis stops him, old age and all." Remarked Peter as he looked up to Tony for approval, he received it with a thump on the back coupled with a silent laugh from Tony. 

"No look at me instead." voiced.. Michelle? From the doorway? Yup that was Michelle... Her note pad sat on her leg, pencil in hand as she stared at Tony and Peter.. Peter's jaw fell as he looked at Michelle in the doorway. "Sup loser!" She called from where she was standing.

”Shit..” Mutered Peter, barely audible - luckily Steve didn’t hear him. Tony cracked another media smile and pushed Peter toward Michelle. The billionaire then guided Steve away from the other pair, smirking devilishly back at them. “Uhhh...” Began Peter, unsure of where to start in the jumble of directions the conversation could go. “Uh, why are you? Um. Why are you here?” Peter, kinda like how he asked Tony a few years ago when he first saw him in his apartment. 

“I could ask you the same.” Peter could tell he was fucked now, Michelle was gunna find out - so he might as well tell her. “Why would you need to be treated on the top floors of _Avengers_ Tower? He trusted Michelle. Hell, he was falling madly in love with her slowly; of course he could trust her with his _deepest, darkest,  **hardest kept secret..**  _On top of it all, it would be great to have two people cover for him instead of just Ned, Michelle could convince anyone of anything. She even tricked Peter into thinking the last two Star Wars movies had been good, thank God Ned wasn’t around: he wouldn’t of heard the end of it..

”Uh.. My, um.. Stark- Stark In..tern..shi..p?”

”And what do you do on the internship, Peter?” Shit, Michelle was pressing deep for answers at the moment. Fuck it, Michelle was Michelle - she would’ve found out anyway, here it goes:

“I scale buildings..” Peter was suddenly confident, if only slightly embarrassed. Turns out just telling the truth helped a lot on his confidence. Michelle opened her mouth, contemplated what he said and froze mid first syllable. 

“Wait, What?” She couldn’t believe it, she had finally got Peter to tell her - well.. More of admit what she already extremely, highly classed as fact. Peter Parker is Spiderman.. “You climb buildings, and do what? Fix bloody light bulbs?”

”I think you know what I do Michelle..” This time she collected herself quickly, but Peter had already frozen the image of her confusion in his memory - perhaps he could get Steve to draw it for him.. She nodded, grabbed his arm and walked him up toward where Tony and Steve had gone, up to the penthouse living area.

* * *

 

The top penthouse layers were actually surprisingly packed, Tony and Steve once more trying to lift Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. Luckily for Thor, Doctor Strange had classed Mjolnir worthy of resurrection - using the time stone on the shards that Thor had to complete the hammer once more. Nat, Clint, Wanda and Vision shared light discussion across a small lunch - chatting amiably. Unfortunately the tower wasn’t at peak capacity - Peter had never seen it,  it apparently it had been marvellous when they had come close. Key Wakandan figures, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D left overs.. After that night Peter remembered the top floor of the tower was closed for around a month... Ridiculous. 

Peter and Michelle were watching memes in front of the TV, just about to play the Champions League Final. Michelle would usually upturn her eyebrows and scroll through her Instagram, whereas Peter would stop at nearly every photo to like it, often getting a slight chuckle all the way to a giggle from him. At one point he stopped laughing for a while. Michelle in turn looked at him questioningly, only to be impressed when she realised something had shut him up. The girl grabbed his phone and turned it toward her, her eyes widened. It was 4K news footage of the last battle at the compound. Steve looked over to a fallen Tony, looking around for Thor as well. He looked up toward the giant Purple Titan - staring him down with all his willpower. The scene was mesmerising: Steve nursing his injured arm as he looked down on all of Thanos’ army - as if he could defeat them all..  Both teens gawping was enough to stir Tony’s attention. Well, to be fair, he had been checking on the pair every few minutes to make sure they weren’t shagging each other’s brains out when he wasn’t looking. 

“Hey you two, what’s going on here?” Michelle wrenched the phone from Peter and shoved it forcefully into Tony’s chest. Tony looked down to the news footage, it showed when he had been knocked unconscious during that moment. “My god..” Tony  projected the footage onto the wall and proceeded to show it to Steve, the super soldier smirked.. 

“I may be old, but I’m fit enough to take down an army..”

* * *

 

Michelle spoke to him, black curly hair comfortingly creating a cushion for here head to lie on on top of Peter’s shoulder. ”Y’know, I didn’t think I’d ever get you to confess..” He had expected this, somewhere up in the genius brain he sometimes used, was the ability to plan ahead. Peter had tried many outcomes, and had tried to foolproof them - which was only slightly possible when Michelle was included. 

“Well, you are Michelle, you already knew I’m pretty sure, no harm in confirming your suspicions when you’re my best friend..” 

“So what’s Ned then?” 

“He’s my guy in the chair..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY! I was gunna write, and then I just didn’t, had a bunch of exams, then I just couldn’t be bothered, read instead.. So hopefully I come back strong..
> 
>  
> 
> Well.. Ughhh.. Please write suggestion for this chapter- it’s the first without a song in it.. I plan to space out the songs as it gets a bit repetitive to have constant song fics back to back. Also finding a song is a pain.. 
> 
> So if you have any suggestions for songs to do as well, feel free to drop them below! I’ll see if I can bend the plot with them..


	7. Chapter 7

THIS ISNT A CHAPTER!!!

 

Temporarily, this story is on a half-hiatus...

 

Im writing it, but I’m not posting it.

 

Ive just got loads and loads and loads of writing ideas that I’m all developing at a snails pace... So at some point a bunch of stories are gunna be pumped out at once..

 

Sorry, but I hope you readers understand...


	8. little notice again

the next three chapters were written at least few months ago and werent intended to be released until a bit more story had been developed, but ive done it now becuase i felt like it. Which is why the story doesnt really flow that well...


	9. Building stable foundations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends once more, Peter and Michelle spend a lot more time together than they did before.. Something to do with finding out your friend is America’s favourite Superhero..

Deep in sleep, he tossed and turned. “I don’t wanna go! I don’t-Help!” Peter watched himself turn to ash. Only for it to blow once more into a pile. Apart from the pile grew and grew endlessly. Peter looked around the nightmare, realising where he was. “Oh fuck...” Mouthed his dreaming self - horror dawning in his eyes as he watched Spiderman stuck under a broken warehouse. Fire burned around him and his face stung. It was hot, painful, too much.. It was just.. Peter couldn’t cope. He struggled for breath, heaving his chest up and down in the smoke. 

His vision exploded with bright light when his pupils flew open. Above him was Michelle, staring down at him, worry on her face. Hastily she covered up her mouth with her hands in a pyramid pray. Exhaled heavily..Then slapped him! Of all things! “Don’t do that again...” She remarked, proceeding to get off of him then, contempt with his punishment and her comforting. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Final day of school ends, Peters weekend quickly develops from that.

Bell ringing for the final time that term, the school unfurled with a swarming mass of teenagers, piling out into the baking sun. Toward the back of the block Peter shuffled along with Ned. Michelle was in front of them.

"Ned." Peter whispered as the crowd expanded behind them. The final classes joined the back of the pack. "My place, Sunday." Peter finished, before starting to slide in between the crowd. Ned meanwhile simply stared at his best friends head, ducking in and out of people.

"Yeah, Uh, sur- sure Peter.." Uncertainty riddled his voice like a sponge with holes. He simply shuffled on, feet scuffing the floor, annoyed with how Peter simply scuttled off all the time.

"Sup Loser 2. Where's Loser 1?" Michelle had stepped back as she realised Ned was walking along on his own.

"He's just.. He's just left."

Ned, Michelle noticed, sounded kind of hurt; his voice sounding on the edge of breaking. Michelle furrowed her brows muttered a quick, "Wait a moment.." and too slid off inside the slowly dissipating populous. Her bushy unkempt hair bouncing above others heads with the spring in her step.

Michelle thwipped our her phone, sending a brief text to her mom.

‘Hey, won't be coming back to home for a while, gunna stay round a friends...’

Michelle popped her phone back in her jeans pocket, fumbling as her moving legs interrupted the pocket space. Next she threw her head back and to the left, trying to rid her face of the intruding stray, wild hairs which intercepted her vision. With a small blow upwards toward her forehead the hairs fell back into their natural wild, 'I've been through a bush', state. She continued her way through the emptying crowd. Michelle took a smaller step, going on to her tip-toes, making out Peter's 17th bag that year sliding round the doorframe of the school entrance. It's orange marking along the left corner giving it away. Diverting her route toward him was rather difficult, as the remaining trickle of students interfered with her chosen path.

After she stepped through the slightly slanted school entrance she tilted her head and peered around trying to see Peter. She wanted a better view, so, being Michelle, she hopped up onto the nicely kept school ledge, the yellowing grass shrivelling in the heat now being crushed under the soles of her Timberlands. The dead grass beneath her feet crackled like a log fire with each step she took.

"Peter!" She called out, not stopping her self from sounding like she cared about him, because she definitely didn't.

Said teenager swivelled on the spot about 20 meters along the path outside the school. Seeing Michelle he relaxed. 'At least it's not Flash.' He thought

"Hey Michelle, don't you have- like a train? Or something?" Peter eyed her half suspiciously, half pleadingly, as if he really didn't wish she was there; and she noticed that, making sure to spend extra long doing what she needed to do.

She simply stared at him - knowing it looked like disbelief. She normally wouldn't care about what he previously said, but seeing he wanted to be alone rather quickly, she asked her question.

"We've known each other for how many years? And you still don't know I take a bus?" Her left eyebrow raised slightly, her unimpressed eyes saying 'seriously.' Peter crumbled slightly under the stare, fidgeting even more as she looked. Sometimes she swore he had ADHD or something...

"Yeah, I was just wondering if you wanted my number, as you don't have it, in case you needed my help with that history project on mythology over the summer?" Flatly Came Michelle, again sliding her phone out of her jeans. Trying as best she could to not sound desperate - she was not...

Peter's ears pinked at the tips slightly, and an ever-so-slight skin oloured blush crossed his features.

"Uh, um.. Yea, I mean.. Yeah Sure. Do you need mine as wel... Or is this just kind of a, um, one way thing? Or are you gunna call me and then I'll have yours or something?" Rambling on as his coloured blush darkened and grew across his face. Michelle simply stared at him blankly.

"Give me your phone." She commanded, he peaked slightly, before one of his nervous, ever-so-slightly trembling hands absentmindedly scuffled inside his pocket for his phone.

"Here." He little more than squeaked out. She proceeded to stare at his phone for a few seconds, swiping and tapping for a few seconds, then navigated to the contacts list before punching in her number under the name...

Badass Motherfucker MJ

Peter looked at the name as he was handed his phone back, laughing softly; pocketing his phone in the process. Peter looked at the road to see a not-so-patient looking Happy Hogan staring at him, death-like. He didn't even having enough time to wonder how Michelle knew his phone's password before he was worrying.

"Oh shit!" He mumbled, clambering to his feet from the grassy patch he was now sitting on with Badass Motherfucker MJ. Peter clutched his bags and scampered off toward the smooth saloon sports car. Michelle he failed to notice, waltzed on behind him.

Peter swung open the door, plopping inside onto the cool leather; the black jeans he was wearing feeling like steaming steel in water on his chiselled thighs. The air conditioning hitting him full force as he nestled into the massaging chair. That's when Peter felt the outside heat clutch him again. The sound of a second door swing open filed his enhanced hearing. His eyes darted to the side mirror, and he nearly choked on his oxygen as he saw Michelle's perfect features staring at the book in her hands.

"Two today then. I expect double from Stark." Spoke up a whining Happy. The only response he got was a slight nearly-silent whine from Peter and the innocent page turn from Michelle's book.

XxXxXxXxX

The engine cut of as the trio arrived outside the illuminated Stark Tower. Traffic had been awful in New York as it was the end of school, and therefore the start of the Summer. Happy then opened his door and lumbered lethargically in the direction of the elevators, swiping through the security with his 'level 10' security card. Meanwhile Michelle clambered out of the back of the car, trying not to lose which page she was on.

"Sup Peter." Peter simply gapped and stared at her. He had not intended for this to happen.

"Uh, Yeah, um, yeah, uh, sup? He replied feverishly.

'God he's cute when he does that.' Thought Michelle as she stared at his stuttered reply.

Peter surprisingly pulled himself together; seeming to relax as the new duo closed the gap between them and security. Which is the opposite of what many others would do Michelle noted - expanding her ever growing mass of facts about Peter Parker. The two entered the empty employee queue. Peter quickly hoisted, from his pocket, his Stark Phone, swinging it over the pass section - unlocking the barrier for himself.

"Wait here MJ." Spoke Peter, as he stepped forward once.

"Fri!" He called out into nothing but the ceiling and walls. At that Michelle peered up from her book to notice Peter looking expectedly at the roof of the first floor lobby. And to Michelle honest surprise, although she hid it well, a Scottish-esque voice rung out pleasantly through the mostly empty room, apart from one or two reception workers.

"Hello Peter. How could I be of service today!" Her usual joyous voice brung a small smile to Peter's tired muscles. And the sudden voice startled the workers behind the reception desk. It looked as if they didn't know the AI was in the ceiling.

"How would I get a friend through security with me?" Peter spoke toward the support beam holding up the roof inside one of the reception booths.

"Done!" Friday said - And with that the security stand in front of Michelle swung open like that, tapping lightly on the opposite glass border, protecting those inside the tower from out.

Peter motioned lightly for MJ to come over to him. He waited where he was not moving any quicker so she wouldn't have to catch up with his sleek, muscular legs.

'Stop!' Shouted Michelle to her own head, realising she was getting carried away with Peter. She snapped out of it quickly though as they drew level with each other. Before they finally moved on Peter spoke, "You alright? You got everything?"

'He's too nice for his own good' thought Michelle as she gazed at the amazing boy to her right - mumbling a double 'yeah.'

Peter spoke animatedly with passing workers at the tower when they crossed paths, explaining things with dumbed down answers and hand gestures. Each individual broke off as he explained what he thought their problem was and a solution was, and if it failed, to text him what went wrong.

'No-one deserves him' thought MJ as she continued to longingly stare at Peter.

XxXxXxX

The final man was dismissed and Peter voiced himself up again.

"Fri, floor 93." He turned to Michelle, who he noticed was staring at him with an unrecognisable look on her face.

"Oh, and hang on!" He called out to Michelle as the elevator sprung off like a contained energised bouncy ball.

Michelle staggered lightly in the lift but as she just started to lose her balance toward the 90th floor, Peter shot out his hand clutching hers - stopping her from going to the floor.

Unknown to the two, the doors had slid open, and an extremely amused and confused Clint Barton whispered quietly to Friday.

"Friday, Photo." Clint smiled, looking at the pair.

"Sup Parker. Bringing your friends to the tower finally!" Peter jumped, shaking the lift slightly. He placed his hand back into his empty pocket, whilst Michelle did the same. Peter looked up from where Michelle's hand had been - staring awkwardly at the elevator door. Michelle also looked up after a few more moments, and her heart skipped a beat...

Hawkeye was standing there! Now Michelle would never admit it to anyone, apart from Liz, that she loved the avengers...

"Oh, Hi Clint, thought you were Mr Stark for a moment then..." Peter's cheeks flushed slightly and his head dipped down toward the floor. Clint was not having that - so he grabbed Peter by the shoulder. Steering him away - so Michelle couldn't hear.

"Hey." Peter looked up as Clint spoke. "You smash this out the park alright. You got this!" Peter smiled feebly but it slowly grew to a smirk.

"Cheers Uncle Clint." Peter whispered..

His bubblyness was contaminating, Michelle had decided - she started to feel slightly different in Peter's expressive company which was intermingling with Hawkeye's joyous mood. Michelle got out the elevator and Hawkeye stepped inside. At one point Peter and Michelle briefly brushed hands, being awkward for both - however only Peter showed anything - another flush in his cheeks...

Secretly they were both jumping inside. Michelle was still watching the closing lift doors. And they kept closing until Clint's boot launched it's self in between the two panels.

"Oh, Pete, check my arrows would ya? I would ask Tony but he's being a bit of a douche. I've got a problem with the electric ones - they don't fire properly... Cheers!" And with that he withdrew his foot and the doors nestled close.

The two were silent for a few moments - Michelle following Peter who seemed to be knowing where he was going. The silence quickly became unbearable and Peter was the first to break: breaking the silence.

"So MJ, why'd you wanna come here?" Asked Peter. He hadn't spoken that much to her on the entire journey up to the Penthouse levels from leaving school so she was rather surprised when he asked.

"Just thought I'd see what your life's like." She covered calmly. She really had millions of reasons for coming up to the Avengers tower. But she couldn't tell Peter all of them...

"Fair enough." He grabbed her arm and jogged off lightly toward the kitchen. However on the edge of the wall he skidded to a halt, annoying Michelle a lot.

"If you're gunna make me run, then run for a while at leas-." She was interrupted as Peter put a single finger roughly where her lips were; silencing Michelle. Afterwards Peter poked his head round the corner, gulped, and spun round to MJ.

"Like all of them are here..." Peter pauses to let the effect of the sentence sink in.

'-all of them, shit!" Thought Michelle and Peter in sync. Peter quickly changed from the happy-go-lucky mood MJ had seen him in on the way up here to, 'I'm being bullied by Flash,' mood. Michelle never liked Peter in this mood because she didn't really know what to do when he was in this curled up stage.

Wanda - if she knew the two were outside the room - would've had a field trip as most of their thoughts were rather entertaining. Luckily she was on the couch with Thor and Nat. Reading, reading and watching TV respectfully.

"Michelle, what if they don't want you up here? I mean this is kind of The Avengers." Peter babbled on, being silenced when a finger was planted on his animated, worrying face.

"Fuck that, we go in, consequences later I say." Michelle interrupted his thoughts and babbling, pulling away. And with that MJ pushed Peter into the Penthouse. Michelle in her stride and Peter in an awkward shuffle. his Timberlands scraping along the floor letting out the odd 'squeeek' every few steps.

"Hey Pete! Who's the lovely lady?" Peter looked at the kitchen to see Steve looking at him, Bucky slowly turning from the TV to look at them as well.

"Oh, um this is-."

"-MJ." MJ announced, smiling briefly and holding out her hand - which Steve And Bucky both shook. 

“Michelle? From when Peter feinted?” Asked Steve, getting a smirk from Michelle. She nodded and looked to Bucky as he spoke.

"Strong grip..." Bucky muttered.

"Hey I noticed that too..." Steve mentioned as well. Michelle, Peter noticed, was smirking slightly. Bucky then cocked his head slightly, turned away and pulled out his phone.

"Hey Buck, guests, no phon-." Steve was cut off when Sam shouted out...

"Guests? Who else has Stark invited for his victory party tomorrow?" The rest of the Avengers turned toward Steve and Bucky who, together, blocked the view of Peter and Michelle.

"Oh, Yeah, I invited this guest." 'Although I hope she stays.' Thought Peter at the end of his sentence.

"Man of Spiders! You are home!" Thor quickly lept from the couch to his feet, striding over and pushing through Steve to get to Peter, Thor wrapped the youngest Avenger in a bone-cracking hug before he noticed Michelle.

"Oh? Hello!" Thor's voice boomed out again.

"I'm MJ." Said Michelle, staring at the God, taking in the sight he beheld. The light beard, the newly cut hair, the huge muscles... Michelle held out her hand to shake it but Thor grabbed it lightly and brushed it against his lips.

"Dude." Peter spoke up. "Get your own!" The gathering laughed and after more greetings were shared they all settled down eventually. 

Bucky tapped Steve on the shoulder and showed him his phone. Steve's eye seemed to pop out his skull..

XxXxXx

"Pete?" Wanda spoke out telepathically to him. Peter constantly thought of a thumbs up, hoping Wanda would get the message - she did.

"Come to the kitchen, we're putting on Harry Potter again. We need to carry on with Cap's catch up list."

Peter then responded with another frequent thumbs up. He proceeded to look up, noticing Michelle staring at his desk with particular interest. (And slight amazement!)

"You designed that? And that's your max weight lift?" She asked peculiarly - her eyebrows raised slightly.

"Yeah, and maybe. I lifted a building off me a few months ago. That could've been more..." he replied thoughtfully. He was going to pick up a hoodie and walk to the kitchen when he heard Michelle speak again -

"Well, you're going to stop holding back in class now." It was firm, that reply. Peter knew it - and now that MJ had said it, he kind of had to do it. Peter replied with a soft grumble but didn't say anything.

Peter was silent for a few moments again.

"They're watching HP in the kitchen, wanna come?" He had grabbed his Spiderman hoodie and was staring at MJ.

"Sure." She started. "But I'm having that." She nicked his hoodie from his hands. "And go find me a pair of your softest joggers." Peter replied by grabbing a WIP web shooter from the desk and firing it at the wardrobe across the room. It flung open. Peter walked over, grabbed a pair of what was inside, chucked them to MJ and spoke.

"Do you want me out?" He asked so politely without even the slightest hint of mischief, surprising Michelle slightly - ‘Did Peter have an end to his good-spiritedness?’

XxXxXxXx

The gathered Avengers were halfway through the second movie and Peter was beginning to fidget. Tony still wasn't home, and that worried him. However MJ was doing a good job of keeping him bothered, she usually dragged her hand softly through his luscious locks of hair. And when she, did he purred unnoticeable to everyone apart from MJ, not even the super assassins could here him.

Time passed quickly under Michelle's care, and Peter totally forgot that Tony wasn't there with them. Toward the end of the third movie, Rhodes spoke "Ey, Pete, Don't you think this Prisoner dude looks like Bucky?" Rhodey looked at Peter smirking before turning to Bucky,

"No harm meant bro, but you do look alike." Peter then laughed loudly as the camera turned to Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack.

"They're twins!" Sam shouted. Everyone joined Peter in laughing apart from Bucky who looked muderous, his jaw set in stone and his temple pulsating.

"Loosen up Buck! Stop being so Sirius!" Steve was speaking from beside Bucky. Steve's brother-in-all-but-blood punched him whilst making an anguished face. "You know they don't mean about before." He added in a whisper - which Peter heard due to his super hearing. Bucky than laughed softly along with the others.

"No it's Sirius Black, not Sirius Buck!" Laughed out Clint when someone on screen exclaimed Sirius' name. Quickly came the end of the third movie, signalling the end of movie night that night. Earth mightiest heroes slowly broke apart toward their own quarters: Wanda, Natasha And Bruce all leaving first. Shortly followed by Rhodey, Bucky, Sam, and Vision. Only Peter, MJ, Thor, And Steve we're left on the now humongous-looking couch.

"You two off to bed now c'mon." Steve motioned toward Peter and Thor. "I know how you two act when you don't get enough sleep..." And with that Thor and Peter slumped off toward their neighbour rooms. Talking quietly on their way. Michelle however was asleep on the couch leaning on a pillow pile that matched Peter's shape. Steve simply stared at her sweetly, not wanting to disturb her. He was about to wake her when he heard a voice from the corridor, "You wake her Stevie Bear and your gunna have my kid to deal with, along with his Girlfriend - even if they won’t admit it..." It was Tony's voice. Steve recoiled his outstretched arm and walked over to Tony wrapping him in a hug.

"Peter's been worried sick about you." Steve gestured generally toward the couch. "She's had to keep him de-stressed..." Tony smiled broadly at the last statement,

"He's found the right girl for him then..."

XxXxXxXxX

In the early hours of the morning, the tower was alive, Friday was busy decorating the tower for Tony's celebratory party that evening. Thousands of little tasks would perfect the rooms, corridors and balconies for the night's occasion. No-one was ready for what was going to happen that evening.

XxXxXxXxX

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" The crowd chanted as the mountain of Asgardian mead grew. Thor sat amongst a pile of DRUNK friends of Tony. Thor not slightly fazed by the large amounts of drink he had consumed in the past hour. And so he got up to talk with his fellow companions and soldiers. The Avengers were sat in a large expansive area over looking Times Square. The hundreds of illuminated boards blasting advertisements across the shallow-numbered crowd between the layered buildings.

"Ah, my fellow warriors. How are you all?" Vague murmurs to greetings of: "Alright, how are you Thor?" were received in response. Thor grinned and shared small responses with many around the room - he settled next to Steve amd Tony.

"So Steve, you found anyone to settle down with yet? You said you were looking." Scott spoke up.

"I'm not sure Lang, I haven't really been looking." Steve answered. "Just if anything catches my eye I guess..."

"Wanda, you can drink right?" Asked Tony. "Your like 23 right?" He continued.

"18 and 7 months. So no..." said Wanda sounding slightly annoyed.

"Wait your 18?" Questioned Peter. "I thought you were like 25!" Wanda only smiled at Peter and was about to speak when Natasha interrupted.

"That's a dangerous game you're playing kid, thinking a woman is older than she is." 'Yeah's and 'fair enough's were heard amongst the huddle. A small blush appeared across Peters nose ridge and just underneath his eyes.

"Always go lower, for instance, how old do you think I am?" Natasha turned to face Peter. Tony, Clint And Sam barely held back laughter as Peter looked more and more embarrassed.

"Um, 29!" He shot back hopefully. Nat shrugged.

"I'd take that. I'm actually 34." Nat smiled at Peter, and turned away.

The conversation was dying down to pairs or triplets speaking quietly with each other when Tony whispered to Clint and Sam: "You watch, the kids going places." And the other two snickered violently...

After a few more drinks and a few more small breakouts of conversations. Peter turned to his favourite Uncle who was more of that really cool brother. Thor...

"Yo, Thor, what's the time?" Thor pulled back his sleeve gently before looking at his 'midgardian gift' from Steve. Twelve past two..." Peter only nodded and turned away, before suddenly springing back round...

Ideas flew through giant brain as he looked at Thor check the time."Ok, as a little competition - who can be the most sassy when looking at their watch, for instance try this.." Peter thrust his hand out to the right, before flicking his arm back round and acting as if he was telling the time. Thor tried and failed. So Peter kept going through the 'sassy time check', laughing at every moment of it.

Suddenly on the fourth try, a great crash and crack was heard, Peter and Thor looked round to see Stormbreaker in Thor's hand and a huge crack in the ceiling above them...

"Ahh, um, well, I forgot about your axe..." Peter shuffled nervously apologising as heads turned to look at them.

"It is fine my brother, we have not had The Test!" Thor boomed the last two words and everyone in the vicinity turned toward the source. Slowly people turned back to their drinks and only then did Thor put Stormbreaker on the glass table, the handle pointing the the sky.

"Avengers! My friends, we must now have the annual, LIFT!" The group shouted loud 'ayyeeeee's' and gathered around the warping glass table. "We wont feel bad if you can't get it up this year Clint!" Jabbed Tony, laughing at Thor's antics.

"Well Playboy - at least I got it up to have three kids!" Replied Clint, flicking up his eyebrows in a 'try me' action.

"Hey! I got my own kid!" Shot back Tony - wrapping his arms around Peter protectively. Their actions lead to many 'oohs' and 'awwwss' - for instance when Clint mentioned his three kids. During The Age of Ultron, the original six had all met Clint's kids, to varying levels of likability....

Thor cleared his throat softly, looking between the pair expectedly. "Who will be the first to fail!"

Scott was first to try, his muscles strained as he grabbed the axe, before he retired to the couch. "I'm telling you its rigged! If I shrunk it, then maybe that would work..." He wondered out loud afterward.

Sam stepped up next, hoping to not embarrass himself too much. He was badly mistaken, apparently he would much rather sit on his arse when he fell over. "Its actually surprisingly comfy down here guys!"

Rhodes seized the weapon next, even with the power of the war machine suit, it would not budge.

Clint walked forward from the couch, clutched the wooden handle and ripped upward but fell on his arse as the handle, and the metal stayed planted. "Even with kids man!"

Bucky walked up next, metal arm out, squeezing the bark and hauling the axe, also failing like Clint and the others before. "Those kids probably didn't help in all honesty Arrow-guy! Anyway, why do I even try? I was a secret assassin!"

"Preach!" Laughed out Clint and Nat in response.

King T'Challa grasped the axe, his enhanced biceps straining at the pressure. He screamed 'yeet!' As he pulled. Also failing, but only half falling.

Bruce walked up next, tension in the air, people muttering this time, maybe the Hulk would appear and rip the Axe off of the table if Bruce couldn't lift it. But alas, Bruce wouldn't Hulk out and resigned to failure again this year. Much to the annoyance of the others.

Dr. Steven Strange, the Master of the Mystic arts, Sorcerer Supreme stepped up to the table, magic quivering in his hands. He wrapped a thread around the handle, muttered a short phrase and tapped the metal. The axe began to rise. That was until, with a smile on his face, the Doctor grabbed the handle and it plummeted down onto the floor, breaking his toe on impact. "Shit!" He exclaimed when the hammer-axe collided with his toe. He stepped through a sling-ring portal and appeared a moment later with a fixed toe.

Vision strode over, through a wall - cutting up the waiting Wanda, and lifted the weapon with such ease you would think it weighed nothing. No straining arms, no panted breaths. Just calm. He placed the weapon down where it was and walked back through another wall. Cheers were heard as he left...

Wanda Maximoff flexed her hand awkwardly around the handle before lightly grabbing the weapon, trying to ease it off the table.. she failed also, only after lifting it with her red tendrils of magic however.

Tony walked up to the Gods weapon eying it suspiciously. "If I pick this up, I rule Asgard?" He queried, only receiving a short nod. Tony called the entire mark 50 onto himself, pulled, gave up pulling and pushed from beneath. And when that failed, he came back after 3 minutes with a meter stick. He proceeded to wedge it underneath the Axe and push down, tilting the weapon - Tony then seized the tilted object. It brung him down to the floor as it tumbled onto the hard wood.

Steve rolled up his sleeves, and with all his might, justness and fair, pulled the God's unbeatable metal up toward his chest. The glass bent back round into its normal shape as the weight was lifted off it, “I’ve already lifted the little one, and now this one.. Is there a difference in worthiness? Cuz it definitely feels like it..”

”I think slightly.” Thor started, looking critical as he eyed his axe. “Stormbreaker is a weapon of a god and king, so perhaps you have to be more powerful and worthier to lift this than Mjolnir..” The group looked satisfied with that answer, turning back to the hammer on the table. 

Maria Hill walked up and failed, shortly followed by Fury and Shuri. Hope Van Dyne didn’t get it too ascend either. 

Three people remained to try the lifting, Thor, Michelle and Peter. Everyone knew Thor could lift it, it was his weapon. And no-one believed two teenagers would be able to lift it. Even if one of them was a super-hero. For they couldn't, and they - as adults - were surely better morally than these two mere youngsters.

Michelle was at the front of the line, she didn't know why she was in it, but she was. And so she walked forward. Eyeing the Axe like a cat watches a particularly large animal for feasting. She examined the detail on the almost woven-looking tree wrapped around the intricate, super-heated, God metal. MJ stuck out a hand as she walked and latched onto the stationary object. It didn’t move, so Michelle swore at it.

Michelle then in realisation fist pumped in glory as she realised she hadn't moved it, much to the surprise of the Avengers and to Thor. She looked back at them, “What? I don’t wanna be forced into ruling a populous because a metallic object chucked supreme executive power over the masses onto me..” Peter laughed out loud at her exclamation, the Avengers chuckled as well - Tony let out a half-laugh, trying to not laugh up his most recent drink.

Tentatively walked up Peter, "Can I?" He asked nervously - gesturing toward the mythological beast on the table.

"Well what else are you in the line for then, Squirt?" Michelle still hadn't sat back down, she turned round toward Peter. He watched her walk over and whisper in his ear:

"Go lift that son-of-a-bitch..." she muttered so only he could hear.. He smiled fiercely in response. He had this!

Peter stretched out his hands, the joints clicked. Everything moved slowly in his head until he laid a hand on the magnificence of the Axe.

Thor was sitting down twiddling his hands as he looked at Peter and The Axe. He knew deep down that Peter would lift it, he had to. Surely. Peter was purer than he was in many aspects. But there was a large part of him, on the surface that believed he wouldn't be able to lift it... And Thor wanted him to lift it.

"That Lover-Boy is luscious hair over Spider heels for you MJ.." Tony turned back round to the hammer again.

Peter slid his hand down the bent tree, feeling for a correct grasp on the handle. He let the magic of the Stormbreaker flow through him. Feel the lightning in his blood, the thunder under his skin. Peter breathed. In. And out. In. And out. He clutched the handle refusing to let go now. Peter let those words fuel him. And as he thought of it, how powerful he felt. So Peter stayed in that position letting the energy fill him. Calm and surreal. Peter emptied his thoughts and focused on the ‘secret’ love he felt for Michelle, the love he felt for the others and above all the luck he felt to be him... and with that he pulled!

Peter had been holding the handle for about ten seconds and slight muttering began. Tony started it... "Michelle, I think you broke him!" This gathered laughs from the Avengers who just looked at Peter curiously. That's when Steve turned to Thor;

"Do you think he can lift it?" Thor just stared at Peter, and then Tony, and then Steve.

"If anyone here deserves to lift that weapon.. It's him..." Those words quietened the group to nothing. They all expected Peter to walk away unsuccessful as they saw the muscle strain and the uneven breaths. However they also noticed after a few moments of those signs - Peter was blank. Like a white canvas, unreadable. Then they saw him pull the Stormbreaker...

It flew from the table, coming up with Peter's grasp. "OhMyGodOhMyGod!" Whispered Peter hoarsely to the open air around him now crackling with energy.

The area was silent. Even thought he may have been able to do it. But apart from Thor no-one really believed he could lift it. And yet he had. The cheers grew and so did the astonishment when they saw what they saw, they had noticed the crackling whips of lightning between the handle of the axe and Peter's hand. He was truly worthy.

XxXxXxXxX

The party didn't die down until around 4am when most people had left like last night for their beds. Avengers were mostly asleep whether that be on the floor or in beds. The only people still awake: Peter, Michelle, Wanda and Thor. Thor, being a god, required less sleep than the other mortals.. Michelle, Peter and Wanda however just were teenagers... So when Thor grabbed one final Asgardian Mead before bed, they followed him. Each grabbed a few of their own and sat down on the couch.

Wanda ripped off the tops of the bottles and poured each of them a mug. Michelle was first to drink, chugging the entire thing in one go.

Now Asgardian mead is a lot stronger than the primitive Midgardian alcohol. But these three didn't know that. So they kept drinking, Wanda gave up on her fourth straight mead when she passed out on her bed, only making it that far even with Peter’s help. Michelle meanwhile was trying to win against Peter but with his enhanced metabolism and the fact he was a growing teenager, he was on his 17th bottle and hadn't felt anything, maybe a tad bit more drowsy than about half an hour ago. Michelle, bless her was on her 8th and was - if she continued - going to probably die.

Luckily for her Peter, being the responsible gentleman he was, interrupted her from taking anymore but paused on his 40th as he saw Michelle about to collapse into sleep on the spot. He rubbed his head lightly and picked her up bridal style, sleek fitting curves, but with a certain powerful, commanding baggyness to her figure in his arms. Somehow, somehow - he managed to keep himself off of her, carrying her off to her room before collapsing on the couch across from the window.

Thor had entered the kitchen again ages ago, looking onward at the teenagers with a bowl of Fruit Loops in hand, Pop Tarts in his pocket for a late night snack. He stared in astonishment as the kid who had lifted his axe a few hours ago smashed through asgardian mead like it was fucking Ribena! “39, I am impressed brother..” He Muttered as he looked inward at Peter manage to keep himself off of his friendgirl - Thor had not believed previously that a Midgardian had such will power, and stupidity to turn down such a chance...


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 days after Tony's party, Michelle visits the tower again.

9:54

Sunlight filtered through the tinted windows into the party floor. Blue light was cast amongst every detail of the room. Natasha was the first to come downstairs, waking up during her mild hangover. She quickly dressed, throwing on some light clothes before heading down the few sets of stairs to the kitchen on the party floor. In front of her lay Peter, clutching a pillow between his head and arm - the second snaked underneath said pillow. Nat sat down next to him and ruffled his hair lightly for a few minutes, the purring quickly started again, he even did it when asleep..

XxXxXxXxX

10:22

After a long, relaxing shower, Peter stepped out onto his balcony, black jeans lapping slightly in the wind. He peered down toward the bustling traffic. Knowing somewhere down there, Aunt May was coming back to New York after her business trip over to London..

After a few minutes of simply staring out, letting the alcohol drain from his system, Steve walked out beside Peter.

"Y'know, I used to do this back in 41'..." He looked out toward the sights as he spoke. "Granted the buildings weren't this big, and the sights weren't as impressive; but this generation is more similar to mine than you would think.. I used to look out from that cliff over there." Steve pointed toward a large rock face overlooking a valley at least 20 miles outside the border on New York. "I would love to look at it again from up there y'know. I've got photos of before, I was frozen I mean... it would be amazing to have one to compare it to." The two simply looked out in silence for a few minutes.

"We'll go out there now then. C'mon..." Peter grabbed Steve by the shoulder and steered him toward the elevator. Steve complied and the two founder themselves in Peter's Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster mere moments later. this early in the morning neither of them were really remembering what they were doing properly, their brains not functioning properly. Peter couldn't drive yet, and so it was still Tony's car, 'But rules can be changed...' Thought Steve, so he walked round the back of the car, noting the 4 exhausts and with a low whistle, swung open the door and hopped inside.

"Uhh, Uncle Steve. Why aren't you at the wheel?" Peter furrowed his eyebrows and tentatively looked at Steve. "Because Pete..." Steve seemed to wonder what to say, finally settling on the right words however, he spoke slowly - but fairly: "Before I was frozen, I used to break all the rules. I lied on my form to enter the army, I tricked others to get my way. Now however, I think this rule, we can ignore for the next 10 minutes! What d'ya say?" Steve cracked a smirk at Peter. Peter mirrored him, vaulting over the door into the car and pulling a pair of sunglasses from the driver's sun visor.

"Who knew America's best was such a rule breaker? That wouldn't go down well on the PSA's!"

"Bucky would, besid-... WAIT, YOU'VE SEEN THOSE? You wouldn't dare!" Peter didn't respond, the little shit..

"Dont make a promise you cant keep, Captain!" Those few words brought flashbacks forward for Steve, memories of the dance he had promised Peggy, all the way back in '45... over time he stumbled out of ecalling past nightmares, now focusing on Peter - or more specifically; the sunglasses on his face.

In gold letters, the word 'Stark', was engraved on the black sides. Steve reckoned Peter looked properly like Stark's kid now - even wearing his merchandise.. Peter dropped them in front of his eyes and roared off from the car park with his foot full down on the throttle.. Successfully he easily weaved in and out of New York traffic and with his Spider Sense that detects any possible collisions, he would be fine. It allowed him to adjust the wheel accordingly, near misses weren't exactly rare though.

After about 4 minutes of high speed driving, the pair arrived at the bottom of the cliff that Steve had motioned to from the tower. Peter swung the car round into a small parking area off of the main road, the early morning sun glanced through the trees, refracting harshly into onlookers eyes. The car drew quite a lot of attention even at mid day with quite a few people at work...

Following their arrival, Peter parked the car roughly how it should've been done. He and Steve hopped out of the car - looking like father and son. The pair clambered along the ambling, general path easily gathering their footing on the grassy hill with their enhancedness. Peter popped out his phone as they drew toward the summit of the hill. Twisting round to take a few random photos of who knew what.. Steve turned him around as they reached the edge, a near vertical cliff face - covered in grass. Peter gazed out in awe, the look of the city from the medium sized hill was beyond belief. Large skyscrapers scratched the atmosphere, towering over the dainty single, maybe double floored shops. In between that stood hotels, advertisement buildings and office blocks covering the rest of the skyline and ground area. Peter and Steve simply stared out for what felt like seconds but which was really hours.

"Great isn't it..." Steve started looking toward the still staring Peter.

"That's one way to put it. I don't think I could describe this..." voiced Peter slowly turning toward Steve, trying to drag his eyes away from the view.

"See why I wanted another look?" A smirking Steve looked toward the city again. Peter didn't answer except with silence, which was only interrupted by the odd sound of a camera click from one of the two. Steve pulled Peter close to him, whipping out his phone to get a selfie with him. This was their thing, random selfies in front of the best backdrops...

They only stirred once more from the view when Peter began to feel the heat on his back. He looked up to see the sun right above him; 'how long had they been looking?' "Steve, we should get going, it looks like it's 12 already.." Peter spun on his heel and started walking toward the car - shortly joined by Steve.

XxXxXxX

"Ceiling! Where's Peter?"

"He appears to be with Mr. Rodgers."

"That doesn't answer my question..."

"They are currently not inside a Stark premises. I can give you no further information. Perhaps if you were to u-." The voice cut off, before being replaced by another, rougher, voice from outside the room.

"Didn't I say that that device would work on his AI.. Tony Stark surely has some security problems in this place..." a glass smash was heard before a manly scream ripped through the tower.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to crash the party, or break the glass, but who? has a security problem?" The Mark 47 landed on one of the thugs that Thor could see through the frosted glass. Thor knew immediately that that wasn't Tony - Tony would've used his mark 50 for this.

The thugs were being destroyed by the one suit, and Thor believed he wouldn't need to do anything until the largest man of the eight wrapped his arms around the Iron Man suit, crashing it to the ground. "Grab it lads, it's what we're after, after all!"

Thor had had enough then. He called Stormbreaker to him - unknowingly it killed one of the thugs in the opposite room. Slicing through his sternum - shattering his ribs and vaporising the nearby vital organs. The man shrieked in pain as he fell to the ground, coiling in on himself - making a sloshy flesh puddle on the floor. "What the fuck!" Thor threw his axe toward the intruders, it's ferocity took the wall with it and instantly killed the men in the hall: that consequently obliterated the Mark 47 beneath them all. 'Small price to pay..' Thought Thor. Around him stared the few people inside the lobby of the Tower, "What?" asked Thor innocently.

XxXxXxX

"Pete, hit the speed..." Steve was nervous, he had received a message from Tony...

Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist:

Steve, get to the compound now. Friday's gone down and something's happening.. I need you there. I would, but I'm preoccupied. Pepper wont let me leave! :(

When Captain America throws his mighty shield:

On it. I'm with Peter, we're coming back now. Thor is due for arrival anyway. Hopefully if something is happening he can deal with it.

Peter and Steve drove madly through the midtown area, probably scuffing the curb on the odd tight corner. Peter kept counting in $20,000's every time the paint was scratched.. he reached $40,000 by the time they pulled up at the edge of Times Square. Only to make it 1 block and 3 corners to their destination.

The lights went green and Peter screeched away from the start line, sliding between lanes, whilst simultaneously managing to stay perfectly legal.. The pair reached the first corner, turned in and sped along the small straight, nearly instantly meeting the second corner. They turned again. Roughly they swerved into Tony's impenetrable car park. Peter chucked Steve the keys and sprinted up the stairs nearby toward the elevator; Steve would never admit it, but Peter was faster than him, in fact the only person who was close to matching Peter in speed was T'Challa. Around a minute later Peter emerged back in the tower Penthouse: the remainder of a wall lay on top of 8 men who all wore matching insignia, Toomes' men.. Thor plucked Stormbreaker out of one of the mens ribcage, "Ah, brother, I have been waiting for your arrival!" Evidently Thor was either ignoring the broken wall or he was so used to destruction it didn't bother him; or perhaps he didn't even notice it anymore.

Once more the elevator doors opened to reveal Steve, behind him a rampant Tony, "Oh, Kid your ok, thank God!" he breathed out - enveloping Peter in a hug in the middle of the lobby: cameras began clicking violently.. "Oh for God... Fri, wipe those chips would you. Of everything I might add, serve them right for mucking with my social and private life!" whispered Tony to the sunglasses he had on him.

XxXxXxX

5 Days Later...

"How are we feeling about a pool party?" Called out Sam to the quiet room, most people still weren't over the fact that someone nearly broke in to the tower lobby. Instant reply was chorused back in excited agreement. So that was instantly approved to happen that night. On the same level as the rooms was an extremely large pool. Time just had to pass until around 8:00PM.

4:39

Stormbreaker was currently being cast between a laughing, and shirtless Thor and Peter - running around the compound with a lightning axe. Rhodey, Sam And Clint we're playing Cards against Humanity in the main room: anytime anyone of them got a good pair or triplet of phrases, the read it aloud to everyone in the room; often bringing slight chuckles or down right hysterics from Clint and/or Sam. Steve had disappeared off with the unusual appearance of T'Challa - into the private gym to train like usual. Once more, an absent presence in the room was Wanda. Since he had started living at the tower, Peter could probably only recall the amount of times he had seen her on his two hands.. Library, couch and leaving seemed to be the only three things she did, if that was because Peter was around or all the time, he didn't know.

Natasha and Bucky were sparring and throwing insults in the corridors. Unfortunately for Tony, he tumbled into the fighting pair:

"Wha-? We have a gym.. for that you know! I didn't build and pay for this place, for you two Russian spy-dolls to roll about with a mixture of straddling and riding! That's kept in the bedroom - there are children here!"

"Somebody think of the children!" Exclaimed Shuri as she walked through the door into the compound. Tony's parental instincts went through the roof as he suddenly realised they're were two teens in the building now.

"Ugh, not another one..." Head in his hands Tony swiped her through security regrettably.

"I hope you don't mean Wakandan's, cuz that would be racism." Chirped up Michelle from the doorway behind Tony. He swivelled to see her behind him and grew severely confused., three of them?

"Wait how did y-" Pausing to unfry his brain. "How did you get there?" Michelle cracked a smile and stared at Tony.

"Well, you see. I was thinking about getting Shuri to hack me through, and then I remembered the security here was about 3ft 4 high - so I jumped over it - you need better security Stark..." Michelle flicked up her eyebrows momentarily in a kinda 'gotcha bitch' way. "Anyway, don't change the subject. I got a hint of racism there.." Tony was quick to intervene Michelle rapid thought processes.

"Hey, Hey, Hey. Why would I need security here.. If I have security everywhere else?" MJ narrowed her eyes at him. "Is that an impression of an Asian person, I'm getting racist vibes here Michelle..." Shot back Tony instantly. The reaction he got was an eyelid opener and a slight recoil - 'God he was good' thought Stark as swaggered off toward the main room.

"So why are you here anyway MJ?" Queried Shuri, turning to Michelle on the other side of the barrier.

"I need my phone charger, I left it here last time I came here."

"Wut?" Asked Shuri, dumbfounded for once. "But the last time you were here was fiv-.."

"-Ve.. days ago. Yeah I know. My phone only just hit 1 percent so I decided to come Upstate and get my charger back from Peter - I bet he knows it's here and hasn't even bothered to tell me."

"Talking about Spider-boy, where is h-?"

"THOR!" Laughed out a cheery voice - probably owning to a near-sixteen year old kid. "Throw it here!" Called out the voice again. Air rushing and parting sounded through the air along with a lightning crackle and a thunder boom here and there. Shuri ducked her head, whereas Michelle continued walking along the corridor to Peter's room that they had turned onto a while ago.

"MJ, What are you doing? Get down!" The hoarse whisper of Shuri's came up to her ears.

"I'm a New Yorker baby, this is life!" Uncharacteristically cheered out Michelle as she got to two rooms away from Peter's. Electric charge hung in the air and the crackling grew louder when a blue blur flew past MJ's head, slamming into the wall a few rooms down, the curved wall eventually being hit. "What the fuck?" Muttered Michelle as she looked at the scorched crack the weapon left in the plaster and concrete. "Da fuck is this?" Michelle wrapped her hands around the handle of the weapon and pulled, but it wouldn't move from its spot, was that Stormbreaker? in the wall?

"Ah ha! Another has tried to lift the axe of Theter! Come Son-of-Stark, we must watch them fail!" Boomed Thor in joy when he spotted Michelle, not realising who she was. Tens of thoughts were crashing and colliding in MJ's head. 'Who's Theter?', 'Son-of-Stark is Peter right?', 'So where's Peter?' All was answered when The God of Thunder - Thor - and Peter Parker - Spiderman - came jogging round the corner to face her.

"MJ?" Wondered Peter out loud along the corridor, she heard from the slight echo in the vast, empty, hell - bare, walkway.

"Sup dork?" Asked back Michelle.

"Sorry for my misunderstanding Daughter-of-Natasha, I didn't realise it was you." Interrupted Thor, to much confused and frozen replies.

"Wait what?" Was Peter's 'What the fuck?' And Michelle's "Who the hell do you think I am?" Was also heard.

"You are not Daughter-of-Natasha? Peter's girlfriend." Thor inclined his head slightly, confused - he itched his bicep and brought a hand to his beard in nervousness.

"What have you been telling your God-Brother Parker?" Standing a few feet away, and being a few inches taller than Peter added some confrontation to the comment. Parker cowered back slightly, folding in - protecting his face and vital organs.

"Nothing! I didn't say anything!" Squeaked out Peter, barely audible over Thor's booming laughter and the snorts from Michelle's as she tried not to laugh. As he unfurled he turned to Thor again that day, "why would you think she is Nat's daughter anyway? I can't see any genetic similarities, besides one of them is absurdly more beautiful than the other!"

"Watch out about which one of you you choose Spider, you don't want to be challenging Hitler with the amount of testicles you have, he only had one - I could set you a new record..." Threatened Michelle loving, smiling at him as she spoke. A certain revelation was realised a few moments after Michelle stopped talking.

"Wait you do pay attention in History class?"

"Well you're not in dismay and torture when in lesson, so I can't draw you in the main book..." reasoned MJ as she looked at Peter.

"Eh, fair enough... And Thor, what did I tell you about calling me Son-of-Stark? You might think he's my dad, and he might legally be my dad, but you're the brother I never had, so you can call me that too..." Thor's laughter faded off, a serious, yet happy look on his face.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, course I'm Sirius, why wouldn-.." replied Peter, sliding in a Harry spotter reference like the geeky nerd he was.

"Thank you.. brother.." Interrupted Thor with warmth. "And to answer your first question, Stark has told us of Natasha's reactions with your friend." Thor indicated to Michelle."

"Michelle.." She specified, "you can call me Michelle, or MJ. God, youve already met me before!

"Yes.. Stark has told the team of Natasha's experience five days ago. She has never acted like that with anyone else, well maybe apart from yourself, Peter.. - and I will say, having the chance to bed a woman that early in a relationship, and you didn't take it? ...Brother.. you have much to learn" Peter reddened and spluttered helplessly at the last comment, whilst Michelle smirked at him, ruffling his hair as well.

"How did you-? Y'know, never mind..."

"Don't you love me Parker..." Michelle spoke cockily and cooly, but she was right of course - she was MJ..

"Yeah, yeah I do.." muttered Peter, hoping that Michelle couldn't hear.

"Aw, don't get all sappy on me now Parker!" Michelle punched him lightly on the arm. "Anyway, I've got a phone charger to grab.." Peter tilted his head in confusion.

"Phone charg-... Oh no!" Realisation and worry daunted onto Peter. "The phone charger in your room?"

"What did you do Parker?" MJ commanded, eying him suspiciously whilst trying not to laugh at the sight of him cower again at her mere speaking..

"I didn't do anything!" Squeaked out of him. "It was Clint! He went through the vents, and he stole your charger.. And I couldn't get it cuz every time I'd try - he'd threaten to call Tony that he caught me going into your room!" Peter cried out, pleading with his eyes not to be punished for his failure. Michelle could hold back no longer and broke down into a fit of giggles, and thankfully Thor had left by now, or he would've had quite the experience.


End file.
